Brian Roberts’ return to Orioles is uncertain
The Baltimore Orioles 2nd baseman will have season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right hip. Roberts made the announcement less than 24 hours after he started a rehabilitation task with Class A Aberdeen.
“It just has not answered how we were hoping it would,” Roberts related, just before the Orioles faced Oakland. “Deep down in my gut, I think I knew before last night.”
Roberts was placed on the DL July 3. The 1st doctor he talked to commended surgery, but a 2nd physician suggested he try to rehabilitate the injury. Robert received a cortisone shot and worked out at the team facility in Florida before heading off to Aberdeen.
After going 0 for 4 with a walk on Saturday night, he deserted the program.
“We kind of knew this was a probability going in,” Roberts expounded. “We wished to give it the best possible shot we may to get back out there and try and help for the last 2 months of the season, but it is not going to put me prepared to play the way in which I think is going to be important to help.”
Roberts, 34 years old, missed the beginning of the season with a concussion. He returned on June 12 and got 3 hits against Pittsburgh, but was batting .182 in 17 games before going on the DL. baseball odds
He expects to have the operation at the Steadman Clinic in Colorado over the following seven to 10 days. Following a rehabilitation period of 4 to half a year, Roberts will work toward returning to the Orioles next year.
“The main goal now is to get ready for 600 good at-bats in 2013,” he revealed.
Roberts would have loved being a part of this team, one which has surprisingly been in contention for a playoff berth after going thru 14 straight losing seasons. He wasn’t, however, healthy enough to make it happen.
“To see the excitement in the dugout and not being able to be part of that after so many years here, playing in atmospheres that weren’t like that, that’s truly hard,” Roberts asserted. “I want to take part in this, but I also desire to try this is in a way that benefits the team and not be a detriment to the team. I’m not going to be egotistical enough to go out there and do it solely to go out there and be part of it if I don’t think I can do it.”
The 2-time All-Star and Baltimore’s long-time leadoff hitter has played in only 115 games during the past 3 seasons. Last year, he sustained a season-ending concussion – his 2nd in 2 years – after 39 games.
“It’s been a long 2 years,” Roberts recounted. “It definitely has not gone the way in which I would have drawn it up.”
Roberts broke into the majors in 2001 with Baltimore. He started this season with a lifetime batting average of .281 with 84 homers, 477 RBIs and 274 stolen bases.