Alex Rodriguez is heading to the disabled list after fracturing his left hand, according to multiple reports. A-Rod took a Felix Hernandez pitch to the wrist in Tuesday night's game against the Seattle Mariners and hit the deck, grimacing in pain.

SB Nation's Yankees blog, Pinstripe Alley, knows this could be a blow to New York.

A lot of people have a lot of opinions about A-Rod as a player, but the Yankees can't lose him for an extended period. His bat is finally showing some life in terms of power, so losing him now hurts. It will hurt even worse if his fracture lingers and keeps him out for awhile. Every day third baseman Jayson Nix. You can think a lot of things about A-Rod, but you can't think that's somehow a good thing.

Making matters a little worse, the Yankees lost the game.

That said, the Yankees can lose Rodriguez for an extended period of time. Even after losing to Seattle, the Yankees own a seven-game lead over the second-place Orioles, and only a collapse of epic proportions will keep the Yankees from winning another division title. The Yankees' focus will presumably be on getting their regular third baseman -- and their highest-paid player -- back in plenty of time for the championship tournament in October.

For more on the Yankees, visit Pinstripe Alley and SB Nation New York.