TORONTO — The news about Alex Rodriguez could have been much worse, Derek Jeter said, adding, "We have enough guys on our team that we'll be all right."

New York Yankees players reacted to the latest development in A-Rod's health situation, no matter where they were. Jeter was preparing for the Team USA World Baseball Classic game against Venezuela at Rogers Centre when he acknowledged that he knew before the Yankees announced it that Rodriguez will have less invasive surgery than had first been speculated.

Jeter's optimism and pragmatism brought him relief that Rodriguez will be out six to nine weeks and not four months.

"I don't know the details of the surgery. I'm not a surgeon," the captain said. "They say it's a labrum or something? I didn't even know there was a labrum in your hip. I don't know the severity of it. But I think it's good for him to go ahead and do what he needs to do."

When it was suggested that it will be good for Rodriguez to take a mental break from his admission about having used illegal PEDs, Jeter said: "I haven't been through something like that so I couldn't tell you if a mental break is something needed. That's a better question for him."

The captain's advice to the rest of the Yankees is to just play. "We have no choice ... Cody (Ransom) did a good job for us last year when he played," he said. "I'm sure whoever they decide to put at third base while he's out, they're going to do a good job. He is obviously not going to do some of the things Al is capable of doing. There aren't too many people in baseball that can do it. But we have enough guys on our team that we'll be all right."

Jeter noted that the club had to play without Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui for long stretches last year. (Of course, it didn't make the playoffs, either.)

The difference this year is that with CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and a healthy Chien-Ming Wang, the Yankees don't figure to have to outslug opponents.

"That's how you win, pitching," Jeter said. "I say it time and time again. You can have all the hitters you want, but you have to pitch well."

Other teammates know what they're up against, though.

"Nobody can really fill his role," Matsui said in Tampa through an interpreter. "I think what's important is to make sure we all play to our ability and fulfill our responsibilities."

Johnny Damon said: "I think it's the best thing for him. I think it's the best thing for everybody. Imagine if he had gone down early in the season and was going to miss the whole season or even went down in the stretch drive."

Robinson Cano, playing for the Dominican Republic team in Puerto Rico, said: "I don't think we're going to find anybody like him. He's an RBI machine, a power hitter. He's everything."