Scott Rolen is absent from Friday’s lineup and iffy for the weekend after receiving two cortisone injections for soreness in his left shoulder, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
“I kind of tracked it back to San Diego,” he said, referring to an April 11-13 series. “I don’t know if you guys have noticed, but I haven’t been excelling. I’m not pointing fingers but I’ve been struggling a bit with my shoulder seven to 10 days.”
Rolen is in a 4-for-29 slump that’s left him at .217/.246/.417 in 60 at-bats for the season. He drove in 10 runs in his first nine games but just two in seven games since.
Rolen had shoulder surgery in 2005 and has frequently dealt with soreness in the area since, though cortisone usually takes care of it. This time, the pain is spread out between his shoulder, neck and back. An MRI on his neck came back negative.
With Rolen absent, the Reds have Miguel Cairo starting at third base and batting seventh against the Cardinals tonight.
