ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen was placed
on the 15-day disabled list Thursday with a sprained left shoulder
and could miss up to six weeks.
Rolen's shoulder was still too sore to undergo complete medical
testing, but Dr. George Paletta, the team physician, indicated the
third baseman could be sidelined anywhere from two weeks to six
weeks. Paletta said the results of an MRI exam on Thursday showed
no significant structural damage and he was hopeful Rolen would be
able to take a second exam Friday that would detect any damage to
the labrum.
Paletta said Rolen would have to hold his shoulder in a torqued
position for 20-30 minutes to get a more detailed picture.
"They tried to do it this morning, and he was just too
uncomfortable to tolerate it," Paletta said. "We got what we
could. We really need those additional views to get the most
realistic picture and the most realistic prognosis."
Two days after being hurt in a collision at first base with the
Dodgers' Hee Seop Choi, Rolen said he felt no better and agreed
with the decision to go on the DL. Manager Tony La Russa had been
holding out hope that he could play a man short for perhaps a week
if the injury could run its course faster.
"I still don't have any motion in my arm," Rolen said after
the Cardinals' 10-3 victory over the Dodgers. "I think it's the
right move, and we'll see how it goes from there."
The Cardinals recalled third baseman Scott Seabol to take Rolen's roster spot. Seabol, who grounded out as a pinch hitter
Thursday, was hitting .325 with eight home runs and 24 RBI at
Triple-A Memphis.
Thus far, John Mabry has replaced Rolen at third base in both games he's missed. He was 3-for-5 with a couple of nice defensive plays on Wednesday and went 2-for-4 with a two-run double on Thursday.
Mabry, who bats left-handed, and the right-handed hitting Seabol
could platoon at the position while the team waits for Rolen, a
six-time Gold Glove winner who is batting .257 with five homers and
20 RBI.
Paletta said Rolen's injury is unrelated to the separated left
shoulder that sidelined the all-star third baseman for most of the
2002 playoffs. After joining St. Louis near the trading deadline in
a deal with Philadelphia, Rolen was injured in a basepath collision
with Alex Cintron of the Diamondbacks during the division series
and missed the NL Championship Series.
"Fortunately, the MRI shows us very clearly that area that was
injured in 2002 and there's no evidence of any new injury,"
Paletta said. "The ligaments he damaged appear to have healed very
nicely. The old injury is essentially irrelevant."
The 29-year-old Seabol batted .304 with 31 home runs and 78 RBI
last season for Memphis, by far his best power season. Before
Thursday he had one career major league at-bat with the Yankees in
2001.
"I'm excited," Seabol said. "I want to prove to people that I
can play here."
Also, the Cardinals put off until Friday activating closer Jason Isringhausen from the 15-day disabled list. Isringhausen could have
returned to the roster from a right abdominal strain, but La Russa
wanted him to face hitters in a simulated setting first. The
right-hander threw off a mound earlier Thursday.