A-Rod to get checked out -- just in case

BALTIMORE -- Kevin Long wanted to be clear.

His suggestion earlier this week that Alex Rodriguez see the doctor when he returns to New York wasn't hip related.

It was the struggling slugger's inability during a nearly month-long slump to make an adjustment with his legs.

"He had diagnosed and looked at his swing and he's [usually] quick to make those adjustments and put it into play right away," Long said. "For a couple of weeks he just hasn't been consistent with his lower half. I just started thinking and went through the process and said maybe there's something that's not allowing that to work."

The suggestion to have his lower half looked at came Tuesday morning, before A-Rod bombed two homers that night against Tampa. He went 4-for-7 Wednesday night.

"I guess we just needed to open that door because A-Rod responded the way he usually does," Long said. "[Tuesday] night his swing was as good as I've seen it all year. I was concerned and wanted to know if there was something not allowing him to use his lower half and be as consistent as he's been . . . his swing was perfect [Tuesday] night."

Rodriguez said the right hip that he had surgery on in March 2009 had not been bothering him but would still have everything checked out, including the hip. Joe Girardi said the appointment likely would come sometime next week.

"Definitely not feeling but prior to me not having any issues in '09, there were no feelings, either," A-Rod said. "So we just want to make sure we check off that box . . . there's definitely no excuse for any poor performance. It has nothing to do with bad feeling or aching or anything like that."

Jeter at DH

Derek Jeter, Wednesday night's designated hitter, was replaced at short by Eduardo Nuñez, who had two throwing errors the last time he started in the field for Jeter, May 5 in Detroit.

With lefthander Zach Britton starting, Jorge Posada sat, the third straight game he's sat against a lefty. Posada is 0-for-24 this season against lefthanders and Girardi doesn't seem inclined to start him against future lefties.

"I have to do this day by day," Girardi said.