Erick Aybar Shelved by Angels for Rest of Season, Ending a Disappointing Year

The 2010 season has been a roller-coaster ride for Los Angeles Angels shortstop Erick Aybar.

After starting slowly in the month of April (.253 AVG., 1 HR, 4 RBI), Aybar never fully hit his stride.

Suffering through another tough month in May, Aybar appeared to pick it up in June and July, raising his average to .278 and displaying more of the peskiness expected of him at the top of the lineup.

But the dog days of August hit, and Aybar once again plummeted. Since Aug. 1, Aybar has hit .187 with just five RBI and nine runs scored during that span.

On Sept. 15, Aybar aggravated a groin injury, apparently originally suffered two weeks earlier, diving for a ground ball in Cleveland. Aybar has not played since, and it was finally announced by the Angels that he will miss the rest of the season with an apparent sports hernia.

Aybar traveled to Texas yesterday to meet with Dr. John Preskitt, the same doctor who performed successful hernia surgery on Angels outfielder Torii Hunter last November. If surgery is recommended for Aybar, he will heal in plenty of time for spring training next season.

Aybar finished his disappointing season almost exactly where he finished the month, with a .254 average. Aybar had just five HR and 27 RBI, with 68 runs scored and 20 stolen bases.

One of the main reasons that Chone Figgins was allowed to walk as a free agent this past offseason was that the Angels were confident in Aybar's ability to assume the leadoff position and provide a similar type of offense and set up the middle of the Angels' order.

Aybar never seemed confident in the role and was actually demoted to the bottom part of the order in early August.

Assuming that Aybar returns to complete health by spring training, he will have a lot to prove to Angels' management in terms of showing once again the gritty style of play that led them to assume he could handle the leadoff role.

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