A-Rod back at practice after hip surgery

TAMPA, Florida: Alex Rodriguez resumed drills on the baseball field on Monday five weeks after hip surgery and hopes to return as "good as new".

The New York Yankees third baseman hit 36 balls off a tee and took 42 swings during a soft-toss hitting session. He also fielded 40 grounders and did light running at the team's minor league complex.

"It feels a lot better than it did in spring training," Rodriguez said after the 48-minute workout. "Now it's just a matter of getting into playing shape."