Brian Roberts developed a herniated disc in his back while working out in the offseason.
Sarasota, FL (Sports Network) -
Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts was scheduled to fly back to Baltimore Sunday to have his ailing back examined.
Roberts developed a herniated disc in his back while working out in the offseason and will meet with back specialist Dr. Lee Riley at The John Hopkins Hospital on Monday.
His bothersome back prevented the 32-year-old from participating in baseball- related activities over the past week.
The nine-year major-league vet batted .283 with 56 doubles, 16 homers, 79 runs batted in and swiped 30 bases over 159 games last season for Baltimore.
Where do the Twins go from here?
By Chris Ruddick, MLB Editor
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) -
You could almost hear a collective groan this morning, from Minneapolis all the way down to Fort Myers, as the news began to circulate that Minnesota Twins closer Joe Nathan could be lost for the season because of a torn ligament in his pitching elbow.
Outside of someone named Joe Mauer, Nathan is probably the most irreplaceable player on the Minnesota roster. Quite frankly, you can make the argument that Nathan is the more vital piece to the Twins' puzzle than the reigning American League Most Valuable Player.
The bad news started for the Twins over the weekend, when Nathan experienced tightness in his elbow after facing just one batter in an exhibition game against the Boston Red Sox.
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