Third baseman Brandon Inge hopes to be back with the Oakland Athletics in 2013 after shoulder surgery.
Inge will have season-ending surgery on his dislocated right shoulder in about a week after re-injuring it Saturday night against Boston. He plans to see Dr. Stephen Lemos in Michigan for the procedure after Lemos also operated on his knees. Until then, Inge will be available to pinch hit off the bench. The shoulder doesn’t hurt him batting, but he is “in excruciating pain” when throwing.
“If I hadn’t been through it with my left shoulder exactly the same way as this one, I wouldn’t know. But I had a great idea on what this one was,” Inge said Sunday. “Once it comes out once, you may be safe and it might never come out again, but once it comes out twice, three times, four times, you’re in trouble. The only saving grace I had is it didn’t come out swinging and I didn’t feel it swinging.”
Inge estimates he has dislocated his shoulders at least 20 times, the right side now on four occasions. He plans to rejoin the A’s to rehab with the team post-operation — he’s having too much fun watching the AL wild-card leaders to stay away.
“It wouldn’t have been fair to try to tough out something that I know was a losing battle. I already had it in my mind what was going on,” Inge said.
Inge is batting .218 with 12 home runs and 54 RBI in 83 games, 74 since joining the A’s on April 30 after the Tigers cut him. He was acquired to help fill a big void after Oakland lost Scott Sizemore at the start of spring training to a season-ending knee injury that required surgery.
FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
Jurickson Profar homered in his first career at-bat for the Texas Rangers.
The 19-year-old hit a 2-1 pitch from Cleveland starter Zach McAllister an estimated 388 feet over the right-field wall in the third inning.
Profar became a surprise starter at second base when Ian Kinsler came up with a stiff back before the game.
Profar is the first player born in 1993 to play in a major league game.
SHORT HOPS
Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson was held out of New York’s game against Baltimore Sunday because of tendinitis in his right hamstring. Manager Joe Girardi said Granderson could miss a game or two or return as soon as today. … Right fielder Jayson Werth was scratched from the Nationals’ lineup Sunday. Werth left Saturday’s game against St. Louis in the ninth inning with leg cramps, but there was no reason given for his removal on Sunday. … Second baseman Ian Kinsler was scratched from the Rangers’ lineup Sunday due to stiffness in his lower back. … The Phillies recalled relief pitchers Justin De Fratus and Jake Diekman from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. De Fratus, a right-hander, and Diekman, a left-hander, were with the Phillies for Sunday’s game against the Braves. … Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman left after three innings against the Yankees on Sunday because of elbow stiffness. … White Sox slugger Adam Dunn was out of the lineup for a second straight night with a strained oblique. Manager Robin Ventura said Dunn could pinch hit today.
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