Alex Rodriguez suffered another setback as he tries to return to the Yankees and now the team will be without the star again for at least a week as he recovers from a quad injury and there is a chance that if he aggravates it, he could be out even longer along with shortstop Derek Jeter for the Yankees as they try to make a playoff push and division run in the AL East.

Rodriguez, yet to suit up for the Yanks since undergoing offseason hip surgery, was set to return after completing a minor league rehab assignment last weekend before tightness in his left leg led him to tests that revealed the muscle strain. Slugger Alex Rodriguez will have to wait a while longer before making his season debut as the New York Yankees revealed that the third baseman would not join them for their series against Texas because of a strained quadriceps.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi told reporters after New York's 8-7 loss to the Red Sox on Sunday night that he did not know when Rodriguez would be available.

"He's going to be out for a while, so we'll just deal with it and continue to play," said Girardi, who has also been juggling players in and out of the shortstop position due to the absence of captain Derek Jeter.

Jeter strained his quadriceps earlier this month in his first game of the season after recovering from a fractured ankle and was returned to the disabled list.

"Until they walk through that door and they're able to play, I don't count on them," said the manager, who has had to deal with a flood of injuries that have also sidelined power-hitting outfielder Curtis Granderson and ended the season of first baseman Mark Teixeira.

"You go with the guys that are in the room, that's what you focus on."

The Yankees, who have had 16 players go on the disabled list this season, fell to 52-46 after the loss to Boston and stand seven games behind the East-leading Red Sox. New York is 3.5 games off the pace in the wild card standings.

"I am extremely disappointed with the results of the MRI and hoping to be back as soon as possible and continue with my goal of coming back and helping the Yankees win a championship," Rodridguez said in a statement.

Rodriguez is also waiting on possible action by Major League Baseball over his alleged connection with the Biogenesis clinic in Florida that dispensed performance enhancing drugs. (Reuters Quotes)