Lance Berkman RUMORS & NEWS

Dallas Morning News "With the designated hitter out of play, Texas Rangers’ Lance Berkman is comfortable with being on call as a pinch-hitter for this week’s first three games. “It’s a good break when you’ve got some aches and pains,” said Berkman, who had two surgeries on the right knee last year while with St...." May 07

Dallas Morning News "In his five years with the Rangers, Josh Hamilton had some amazing moments, unbelievable weeks and more than a handful of memorable months. In all of those months, however, he never flirted with a .500 on-base percentage. In his first month with the Rangers, Lance Berkman is. Berkman..." April 23

ESPN.com "Count Lance Berkman among those who are not impressed with Wrigley Field. The Texas Rangers will be making their first trip to the "Friendly Confines" since 2002 -- and only the team's second visit ever. Berkman, however, has visited Chicago numerous times to play the Cubs when he was with the..." April 16

Dallas Morning News "On who he’s excited about playing with: One guy I’m excited about is Mitch Moreland. I think he’s come into camp and I think that he’s a guy whose best days are in front of him. He’s been given the opportunity to be the everyday first baseman and I think he’s seized that opportunity. He’s swung..." March 20

Dallas Morning News "Designated hitter Lance Berkman was a full-go in drills Tuesday morning and will make his Cactus League debut Thursday, said manager Ron Washington. Included in the drills was base running, and Berkman made his way around the bases without aggravating the inflamation in his right calf. Adrian..." February 26

Hardball Talk "The Rangers signed Lance Berkman to a one-year, $10 million contract this offseason and plan to use him as their primary designated hitter in 2013. But he’ll have to be eased into that role this spring. Berkman told Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Sunday morning that he’s only..." February 17

Dallas Morning News "Lance Berkman may not be able to replace Josh Hamilton's power, but he will replace him in the Rangers' batting order. Manager Ron Washington said Thursday he expects Berkman will be his No. 3 hitter with Adrian Beltre remaining the cleanup hitter and Nelson Cruz batting fifth. The hope is that..." January 11

Fox Sports Southwest "Lance Berkman might not be the missing piece for the Texas Rangers to be successful this season. But he may have been the piece that brought into focus the lineup the Rangers will be rolling out to start the 2013 season. Berkman signed a one-year deal for $10 million Monday that includes a..." January 08

Dallas Morning News "Free-agent hitter Lance Berkman put retirement plans on hold Saturday, reaching a verbal agreement on a contract with the Rangers. The deal is for one year, with a salary of $10 million, and Berkman can guarantee a second season by reaching playing-time benchmarks. He will receive a $1 million..." January 07

Fort Worth Star-Telegram "The Rangers and veteran slugger Lance Berkman have agreed on a one-year contract for $11 million that makes him their designated hitter in 2013. The deal, pending a physical, includes a $1 million buyout and a vesting option for 2014 that kicks in if he collects 525 to 550 at-bats, said a..." January 05

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "An unkind season permitted Cardinals first baseman Lance Berkman only 81 at-bats while demanding two knee surgeries and the rehab and uncertainty that accompany physical problems for a 36-year-old athlete. Berkman fondly remembers what two years in St. Louis brought him, most notably being part..." October 28

Hardball Talk "Cardinals first baseman Lance Berkman is taking regular batting practice and performing upper body workouts, but he hasn't been able to do very much running and acknowledged to reporters on Saturday night that he is unlikely to make it back this season. "It's probably a long shot that I will be..." September 30

Belleville News-Democrat "Injured Lance Berkman didn't sound optimistic Saturday of a return to the St. Louis Cardinals' active list, either for the remainder of the regular season or the postseason. Berkman, 36, is recovering from Sept. 11 surgery on his right knee. He is hitting every other day, or as the knee..." September 30

Houston Chronicle "As if there weren't enough elephants in the room for the Astros, there may be a courtship over the winter between Lance Berkman and the Astros. Okay, it may be a forced courtship. Or one-sided. Or adversarial. Or perhaps totally non-existent. Should there be a courtship of any kind? In a..." September 26

Fox Sports Midwest "Don't count out Lance Berkman just yet. Barely a week removed from what was described as season-ending surgery on his right knee, the Cardinals outfielder said Wednesday he's holding out hope that he can return before the season ends. Berkman had surgery on Sept. 11 to repair a torn meniscus..." September 20

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Cardinals first baseman Lance Berkman will undergo additional surgery on his right knee Friday morning, effectively ending his season and further focusing him on possible retirement. Berkman underwent his second magnetic resonance imaging in less than three weeks Monday. A determination was..." September 11

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Struggling first baseman Lance Berkman, who has had only a handful of plate appearances since coming off the disabled list, has returned to Houston to have a check of his troublesome right knee, which was operated on by a Houston doctor in May. Berkman left the clubhouse shortly after Sunday's..." September 10

Hardball Talk "Lance Berkman said late last month that he's leaning towards retirement because of his knee problems. In an interview with FOX 26 on Thursday, he elaborated on that possibility, saying that if he does retire, he plans to return to Rice University to get his degree and serve as a student assistant..." September 06

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Veteran switch-hitter Lance Berkman struck out as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning Tuesday night in his first action since returning to the active roster Saturday. Berkman, who is coming back from knee surgery, said he feels able to play first base if needed. Matheny wanted to see more..." September 05

MLB.com "The Cardinals added two players to their roster on Saturday. Lance Berkman, as expected, came off the disabled list, where he was placed while nursing a right knee injury. Also joining the club in Washington was left-handed pitcher Sam Freeman. The Cardinals' bullpen has been called upon to..." September 01

MLB.com "Manager Mike Matheny said to expect a "couple pitchers and a few position players" to join the Cardinals on Saturday, the first day that clubs can carry more than 25 players on their active rosters. One of those additions will be first baseman Lance Berkman, who wrapped up his Minor League..." August 30

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Lance Berkman took a step toward September on Friday night, appearing in the first of five minor-league games over a seven-day period before returning for what he says will probably be the final weeks of his career. Speaking hours before playing five innings at first base for the Memphis..." August 25

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "His family's Houston residence boasts spurs on a rustic den wall, a signed Major Applewhite Longhorn helmet in a display case and a map of Stephen Austin's Texas hanging within an impressive room that extends other reminders of his native state's complicated, defiant past. He drives a pickup truck..." August 12

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Cardinals first baseman Lance Berkman has been placed on the 15-day disabled list for the third time this season because of inflammation in his right knee. Berkman, who had knee surgery in late May, barely could get out of the batter's box in his last at-bat on Thursday in Denver. Berkman, who..." August 03

Belleville News-Democrat "Lance Berkman was removed from the St. Louis Cardinals' game against Los Angeles on Tuesday after he was hit in the right knee by a pitch from Clayton Kershaw. It's the same knee in which Berkman in May required surgery to repair a torn meniscus." July 25

Belleville News-Democrat "Lance Berkman's surgically repaired meniscus in his right knee feels fine and his swing is showing signs of life. But the St. Louis Cardinals' 36-year-old first baseman is unfazed by the possibility that he will be in a platoon role with Allen Craig for the rest of the season. "We've got a..." July 24

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Ten days into his return from knee surgery, Cardinals first baseman Lance Berkman has felt his timing start to return at the plate and recognized that the role he left might not be the same role he returns to even when completely healthy. And that's fine by him. "We've got a surplus of guys..." July 24

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Cardinals first baseman Lance Berkman conceded after Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers that a two-month layoff for knee surgery and rehabilitation has compromised his bat speed. Insistent that he could complete his rehab as part of the major-league club rather than on a brief..." July 19

Fox Sports Midwest "St. Louis first baseman Lance Berkman thought home plate umpire Brian Gorman missed a critical check-swing call on him in the seventh inning of the Cardinals' 3-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday night. Berkman had an even bigger problem that the umpire made the call and didn't appeal..." July 18

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "The Cardinals are expected to activate first baseman Lance Berkman from the disabled list before today's game against the Cincinnati Reds. Manager Mike Matheny described the move as written in pencil until Berkman arrives at Great American Ball Park today free of discomfort following a Friday..." July 14

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "The Cardinals have lost another pitcher for the season. Righthanded reliever Kyle McClellan had shoulder surgery Tuesday and precedes righthanded starter Chris Carpenter, who will have shoulder-related surgery next week, into the repair shop. But in another day or so, the Cardinals should have..." July 13

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "While one 2011 National League All-Star outfielder is fixing to play next week after having had right knee surgery, a 2012 National League All-Star outfielder is headed for surgery Sunday morning to fix his right knee. The Cardinals' Lance Berkman, who is a first baseman now, said he expected..." July 08

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Cardinals first baseman Lance Berkman was on the field running before batting practice Monday night at Busch Stadium, and he has been doing some hitting drills. Having undergone right knee surgery in late May, he is hoping to be playing for the Cardinals when the second half of the season..." July 03

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "On the same day the Cardinals will add one potential center fielder to the active roster, their starter at that position will be set to begin a rehab assignment. Jon Jay, who has been on the disabled list the past month with a shoulder sprain, is scheduled to join Class AAA Memphis in Omaha on..." June 18

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Nine days ago Lance Berkman went to sleep knowing that he might awake without his right anterior cruciate ligament – actually part of a patellar tendon transplanted in a previous surgery. Of the three possibilities he faced, two dictated that he be on crutches for up to six weeks and required a..." June 02

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Cardinals manager Mike Matheny got a call from Houston about mid-day today. He expected the caller to be a little punchy after anesthesia, but Matheny heard first baseman Lance Berkman loud and clear. Berkman, after having meniscus and cartilage tears repaired in his right knee, told Matheny,..." May 26

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "When Lance Berkman dialed manager Mike Matheny shortly after surgery Friday morning, the tone in the veteran's words revealed the condition of his right knee. "It was great to hear his voice and hear that excitement," Matheny recalled. "You can turn the page by putting different scenarios in..." May 26

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "The Cardinals announced that the arthroscopy on Lance Berkman's right knee today "found a partial tear in the medial meniscus, which was removed, and a ... cartilage tear, which was debrided." No mention was made of damage to the anterior cruciate ligament — which Berkman had feared — in the..." May 25

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Cardinals first baseman Lance Berkman rescheduled Thursday's surgery on his right knee for this morning due to a scheduling conflict involving an attending orthopedist. Today's procedure probably will determine whether Berkman will appear again for the Cardinals this season, or for any club in..." May 25

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "The good news, if it counts as that, is that Cardinals first baseman Lance Berkman doesn't have a torn anterior cruciate ligament. But it may be badly stretched, which would lead to the same outcome as a tear. The Cardinals announced Monday afternoon that Berkman suffers from severely torn..." May 22

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Cardinals first baseman Lance Berkman will undergo surgery this week to address a right knee injury that, according to the club, might or might not require a season-ending replacement of the anterior cruciate ligament. An MRI Monday disclosed tearing of the meniscus and cartilage responsible..." May 22

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Cardinals first baseman Lance Berkman found sleep difficult Saturday night. He said the resulting pain from a right knee injury sustained in that night's second inning was less distracting than the potential outcomes he weighed based on an MRI to be performed today. Neither the club nor Berkman..." May 21

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "First baseman Lance Berkman found it difficult to sleep Saturday night, not because of resulting pain from a right knee injury but because of what may result from Monday's finding. The Cardinals and Berkman have yet to offer specifics about an injury caused by Berkman stretching for a routine..." May 20

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "The Cardinals thought they were merely taking a two-city, five-day road trip to California. Saturday night at Dodger Stadium, their season may have flashed before their eyes. For the third time on the trip, the first-place club watched a player crumble, forcing it to once again scramble to..." May 20

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Injured Cardinals first baseman Lance Berkman took his left leg for a test drive Friday evening and he discovered he wasn't ready to hit the open road yet. When Berkman, on the disabled list with a strained left calf, tried to escalate from jogging to more of a sprint, he felt some residual..." May 05

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "The Cardinals believe first baseman Lance Berkman might play this weekend against the Houston Astros. It just won't be today. Berkman has yet to sprint since landing on the disabled list April 19 because of a strained left calf. He performed some lunging exercises before Thursday's 6-3 loss to..." May 04

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "First baseman Lance Berkman's return from the disabled list may take longer than the club had hoped as he has yet to run faster than a jog since becoming unavailable to the club April 19. Berkman said he jogged at Busch Stadium on Monday's off day but felt some stiffness in his problematic left..." May 02

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Injured first baseman Lance Berkman (strained left calf) is headed to the 15-day disabled list and infielder/outfielder Skip Schumaker (right oblique strain) is scheduled to be activated from his rehabilitation assignment at Class AAA Memphis. Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak offered..." April 19

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "When Cardinals first baseman Lance Berkman stepped back to try and catch a popup in foul territory, he had a setback that might land him on the disabled list. Berkman felt renewed soreness in his left calf at the same spot as the strain that kept him out of the lineup this past weekend. The..." April 19

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Cardinals first baseman Lance Berkman will be part of home-opener festivities today but won't be part of the defending World Series champions' lineup this weekend. A magnetic resonance imaging confirmed on Thursday that Berkman suffered a slight (Grade 1) strain of his left calf in the..." April 13