Erick Aybar, Maicer Izturis return to Angels lineup against A’s

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A week ago, Manager Mike Scioscia declared Erick Aybar out for the season because of a suspected sports hernia in his left groin, an injury the Angels shortstop suffered on Sept. 15 in Cleveland and that sent him to a Dallas-area specialist last Tuesday to determine whether or not surgery was necessary.

Monday night, Aybar, who was told he would not need surgery, was back in the lineup for the Angels’ series opener against the Oakland Athletics, as was third baseman Maicer Izturis, who had been sidelined since Aug. 20 because of an inflamed right shoulder.

With the Angels mathematically eliminated and only seven games left, the question for Scioscia was: What’s the point of playing Aybar, who missed eight games in June because of a left knee injury, and Izturis, who has been on the disabled list three times this season, when both could aggravate their injuries?

‘We didn’t feel they’re at risk,’ Scioscia said. ‘They’ve been working out aggressively for several days, and they got clearance from the medical department to play. They’re trying to move forward. If we felt a guy was at risk, we wouldn’t play them. They want to be comfortable that they’re healthy. These guys are ready to go, and we want them in the lineup.’

--Mike DiGiovanna