Baltimore Orioles’ Wilson Betemit Undergoes Surgery


Baltimore Orioles’ Wilson Betemit Undergoes Surgery

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Baltimore Orioles third baseman Wilson Betemit underwent surgery on his right knee Thursday. The good news is his return status has gone unchanged after Dr. John Wilckens did not find anything out of the ordinary.

The Orioles are glad to learn that their designated hitter should be back in the lineup within six to eight weeks as originally expected. The team is comfortable with this timetable considering the Grade 2/3 posterior cruciate ligament tear could have knocked Betemit out for the season. Even though the 31-year-old’s numbers have fallen off a bit within the past year, he is still a big part of the team in 2013.

Betemit suffered the injury on March 25 after he hyperextended his knee while running from first to second base on a fly out. He ran full speed towards second, stumbled a bit, fell to the ground and then rolled around in agonizing pain. The medical staff was forced to cart him off, as he was unable to walk under his own power.

At first glance, it looked as if Betemit suffered a season-ending injury. The fact that he will only be out until the end of May at the latest is remarkable.

“It could come a little quicker,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter told Orioles.com. “But they don’t think it will be longer than that. If it comes a little quicker, he could start baseball activity a little more. If you eyeball the injury and everything, it’s really a positive thought to think he’s going to be playing full speed. I just love the fact that he didn’t really have to have any major surgery, should recover. I would never have dreamed that when it first happened.”

Betemit batted .216 with two home runs and eight RBI in 37 at-bats in Spring Training. Nolan Reimold, the left-handed batter taking Betemit’s spot as the DH, is 2-for-6 with two walks in two games so far this season.

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