Reds may be without Rolen for some time

Times wires
Saturday, July 23, 2011

CINCINNATI — Scott Rolen raised his left arm to shoulder level, then stopped. That's as far as it would go Saturday, a day after the Reds put him on the disabled list again with an inflamed shoulder and neck.

It's an ominous sign for the defending NL Central champions, who are much better with their third baseman healthy and in the lineup.

"I'm not overly mobile right now, so something's got to give," Rolen, 37, said. "I'm not ready to pick up a bat yet. There won't be any swings for a while."

Rolen went on the 15-day DL for the second time Friday. He has had problems with the left shoulder since 2005, when he injured it in a collision with Dodgers 1B Hee Seop Choi and had two operations.

He missed the last month of the 2007 season because of the shoulder and had it cleaned out. He went on the DL again in 2008 with a shoulder sprain.

Rolen had one of his best first halves last season, batting .290 with a .361 on-base percentage and a .548 slugging percentage. The shoulder and neck began bothering him in the second half, and he managed only .277/.352/.420 the rest of the way.

He was batting .242/.279/.397 when the shoulder and neck began bothering him after Wednesday's game in Pittsburgh. It didn't get any better during the Reds' day off.

Rolen said it's similar to the problems he had last season.

"I think it stems from the same thing; the shoulder and the repairs and the whole works," he said. "It's probably down the same road, for sure."

In other Reds news, rookie SS Zach Cozart hyperextended his left elbow while trying to make a tag in the fourth against the Braves, forcing him from the game. And RF Jay Bruce sat out with an inner-ear problem.

BLUE JAYS: LHP Jo-Jo Reyes was designated for assignment a day after allowing eight runs in four innings against the Rangers. LH reliever Wilfredo Ledezma was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas.

BRAVES: 3B Chipper Jones, who had surgery two weeks ago to repair a meniscus tear in his right knee, began a minor-league rehab assignment with Class-A Rome and could be activated from the DL on Monday.

MARLINS: RHP Chris Volstad was optioned to Triple-A New Orleans a day after a rocky outing against the Mets raised his ERA to 5.58.

METS: LHP Johan Santana said he might begin a minor-league rehab assignment this week, which would be a big step in his comeback from shoulder surgery in September.

ORIOLES: LF Luke Scott will miss the rest of the season with a torn labrum in his right shoulder.

RANGERS: 3B Adrian Beltre went on the 15-day DL with a Grade 1 strain of his left hamstring, the least-severe type of strain.

RED SOX: RHP Clay Buchholz, out since leaving his June 16 start against the Rays with a strained lower back, could throw off a mound today or Monday after a Friday mound session was postponed.

Source: http://www.tampabay.com/sports/reds-may-be-without-rolen-for-some-time/1182197

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