News
Roberts out of lineup with flu symptoms
Leadoff man has been struggling due to respiratory infection
By Doug Miller / MLB.com
07/07/09 10:24 PM ET
SEATTLE -- Brian Roberts got a rare night off on Tuesday, although it could have happened at any time over the past week and a half.The Orioles second baseman and leadoff man has been struggling for the past 10 days with what he confirmed to be flu-like symptoms and manager Dave Trembley called an upper respiratory infection. Roberts described the malady as, "Sinus, chest, everything."
He didn't start Tuesday's game, marking the third game he did not start this year. He eventually appeared later in the other two games he missed earlier in the year, but Trembley said it was possible that Roberts would miss Wednesday afternoon's series finale here, too.
"It's been frustrating," said Roberts, who saw a Mariners team doctor Monday night and received a second and different type of antibiotic medication than the one he had previously been taking.
"I got some new medicine," Roberts said. "It just started yesterday, so hopefully it'll start to go in the right direction."
As of late Tuesday afternoon, however, he said he wasn't feeling better.
"Not much," Roberts said. "Not much."
Roberts added that he and Trembley decided together that Roberts should take at least one game off to rest.
"I think we probably both agree that I'm not sure the strenuous physical activity was making things better," said Roberts, who went 0-for-4 on Monday and was in a 3-for-32 slump in the eight games that preceded the Saturday game in Anaheim.
Adam Jones batted leadoff in Roberts' place, and Trembley said it would be an adjustment for the team to have to formulate a lineup without such a steady presence.
"Obviously, he's a fixture in your lineup," Trembley said. "He's your leadoff guy. He's the one legitimate leadoff guy that you have. He's a fixture. You take for granted that you're going to write his name in the lineup every day and when he's not there, you've got to make some adjustments.
"But like I said, this has been something that has been lingering with him for a while. Hopefully, this dose of medicine takes it in a positive direction."
Doug Miller is a Senior Writer for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
