Orioles Activate Scott From DL; Option Angle
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Luke Scott was activated from the 15-day disabled list Friday by the Baltimore Orioles, who hope the time he had off will enable him to play the rest of the season with a shoulder injury.
Scott has been diagnosed with a torn labrum in his right shoulder. He ultimately will have to address the problem with
either a rehabilitation program or surgery, but the timing remains uncertain.
The answer will probably be evident within the week.
"We've been talking about three to five days," Scott said. "I feel like that will be plenty of time to measure whether I've got
enough (strength) and it allows me to do a good job."
Scott hit a team-high 27 home runs in 2010, but this year he's batting .223 with nine homers and 22 RBIs in 63 games.
"It's pointless if I come up here and do what I've done the last month," Scott said. "It's not helping the team. It's not
helping myself. It's not being a benefit. So, at the end of the day you have to make an honest evaluation."
The results will dictate his course of action.
"My heart is in it, my desire, my work ethic, it's all there. But something's broke and it needs to be fixed," Scott said. "The competitor in me wants to overcome it. But now it's time to basically see if it's functional enough for me to perform at this level. And if it's not, if I'm not doing myself or the team any good, then we have to start thinking about the future."
The Orioles will monitor the injury, but leave it to Scott to make the call.
"He's got really three possibilities," manager Buck Showalter said. "He plays with us the rest of the year -- he's an active
player for us and contributing -- or he has to make a decision whether to do the rehab part or have it surgically repaired. I think one of those last two will happen after the season is over, regardless of what happens.
"The only time the time frame will be pushed up is if he's not able to be a productive player for us in his mind," Showalter
said. "This is his body and his career."
For Scott, surgery is the final option.
"I want to avoid surgery at all costs, but if it's riskier to not have the surgery, that's when surgery will win," Scott said.
Scott was inserted as Baltimore's designated hitter on Friday against the Los Angeles Angels. It was to be his first game since July 3, although he homered twice and drove in six runs for Double-A Bowie in his final rehabilitation assignment Thursday.
"I'm hoping it's fine, it's manageable, it's better than it was before, and he's productive and he finishes the year with us,"
Showalter said.
Baltimore freed up a roster spot for Scott by optioning outfielder Matt Angle to Triple-A Norfolk. Angle made his major
league debut Sunday and was 0 for 7 in his first stint in the big leagues.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
