Late last week, I'd deluded myself into thinking that Brian Roberts' return was just around the corner. He would be eligible to come off of the 60-day disabled list on June 9 (why, that's today!), and he had finally resumed baseball activities and put that cascade of bizarre injuries and illnesses behind him. Last Friday, he was even scheduled to play in his first extended spring training game.Hold the phone.
Roberts was scratched, held out of the game after complaining of back pain. Team officials nearly gave themselves whiplash in jumping out ahead of the story to swear up and down that this undefined soreness had nothing to do with his herniated disk, oh no, no sir. The rest of the tale is all-too-familiar: his game appearance was put off once more, and once again, and another time. Finally he was shelved indefinitely again, and will undergo still more tests. Managerial placeholder Juan Samuel eloquently summed it up: the news is "not very good".
I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see Brian Roberts take the field in 2010. Boy, do I hope I'm wrong about that.
I don't want to see Brian back again in 2010. I want him to get healthy, not rushed back to contribute to these meaningless games. And I fear that whenever he does come back he won't be the same player. Take the rest of the year off, Brian. Get healthy, get surgery, whatever you need.
ReplyDeleteI was at the Strasburg game last night. The place was just nuts. The Nationals have taken a big step forward, the Orioles have taken a big step back. Can you find an O's card that is very green, like with envy. That's how I'm feeling about our neighbors to the South.
Yeah, it's funny how your fortunes turn when you A) don't play in the toughest division in MLB and B)are horrid enough to finish dead-last in two straight seasons, leading to two straight #1 picks that are otherworldly in talent. Not that I'm envious. I just hope that one of these phenoms is waiting for us in 2011, since we've practically got #1 sewn up already.
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ReplyDeleteThat's the thing. It will be just the Orioles luck that there will be no phenom, no clear and undisputed number one pick heading into the draft. And whoever we pick will be an overhyped (by the O's/MASN anyway) bust. Yes, I'm jaded.
ReplyDeleteThe whole "toughest division in baseball" doesn't fly with me anymore - not when the O's get swept/dominated by Oakland, Seattle, Kansas City, Cleveland, etc. etc. Are we so bad because the Yankees are so good, or are the Yankees so good because we are so bad?