Scott Rolen undergoes shoulder surgery

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13 May 2005

Rolen undergoes shoulder surgery

Additional MRI revealed tear in labrum on Friday

By Matthew Leach / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- Scott Rolen went to the doctor's office for an examination and left with a surgically repaired shoulder.

The Cardinals' third baseman underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left labrum on Friday after a second MRI on the aching joint showed a small tear. Rolen injured his shoulder in a collision with Dodgers first baseman Hee-Seop Choi on Tuesday and was placed on the disabled list on Thursday.

"I think we all feel confident that by having this arthroscopy today that it's going to expedite his recovery time," Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty said on Friday.

"They were uncertain yesterday what was the best course of action because there was a small tear. Even if you let it try and heal by itself, you still have some concern where there's some possibility it could take longer or it just won't get better or whatever."

Rolen is still expected to miss approximately four to six weeks as a result of the injury. Before the labral tear was discovered, there was some small hope that he could be back as soon as two to three weeks, but that was quite optimistic. The labrum is a ring-shaped cartilaginous structure that helps to stabilize the shoulder.

Dr. George Paletta, the Cardinals' head team physician, performed an initial MRI on Rolen on Thursday, and that exam revealed no structural damage in the third baseman's rotator cuff or in the actual ball or socket of the shoulder joint. However, Rolen was unable to get his arm into position for a specialized MRI that would reveal the condition of his labrum at that time.

He went for the additional exam on Friday, at which time the labral tear was discovered. The club determined that the best course of action was to operate immediately so that Rolen could begin the healing and rehabilitative process.

"It's his non-throwing shoulder," Jocketty said. "There are a couple of different types of labral tears. There's one that's more serious, where it tears from the bone, and this was more just loosening, breaking off the end."

Matthew Leach is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.