M’s Morse undergoes shoulder surgery

Published 3:37 pm Wednesday, April 23, 2008

SEATTLE — The day after Seattle Mariners outfielder Mike Morse injured his shoulder diving for a fly ball on April 13, there was fear that he was hurt much worse than anyone was saying.

Now it’s clear how bad it was.

Morse underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a torn labrum, and he’ll be out about six months. He should be able to start swinging a bat in four months, the club said.

Morse made the team after setting a Mariners record with a .492 batting average at spring training. Manager John McLaren platooned him with Brad Wilkerson in right field, which clearly wasn’t Morse’s strongest position based on his struggles there during spring training. Then, in a game April 13 against the Angels, he landed awkwardly as he made a headlong dive for a fly.

The Mariners originally thought he’d suffered a separated shoulder. Tuesday, when team physician Dr. Edward Khalfayan operated on Morse, it became obvious that there was significant damage to repair.