Reimold talks about surgery (first-pitch 8 p.m., Lindstrom update)

After much deliberation and multiple consultations with specialists, Orioles outfielder Nolan Reimold decided to undergo surgery Monday morning at Johns Hopkins to remove a disk that's pressing on a nerve on his cervical spine and fuse the vertebrae. "The best thing to do as far as my career is definitely to get the surgery and get the pressure off the nerve that's being pushed on," Reimold said. "I contemplated back and forth a little bit, but it was pretty much a consensus among all the doctors I talked to that it would be the best thing to do, so making the decision wasn't too hard. It's just the fact that you've got to make the decision to actually have the surgery. "The disk is pushing on the nerve root in there and causing the symptoms that I have, so the whole basis for it is to remove the disk and then get the pressure off the nerve." The procedure will be performed by Dr. Ziya Gokaslan. Asked about a timeline for his return, Reimold said, "I don't exactly know. The best-case scenario, I think it's possible to be back by the end of the year, but I'm not sure, as far as the rehab and how quickly the strength will come back and that sort of thing." Reimold said it's the same surgery that quarterback Peyton Manning underwent, "and he seems to be doing all right. He's obviously responded well to it." Reimold was limited to 16 games after being given the opportunity to start regularly in left field for the Orioles. He batted .313/.333/.627 with five homers and 10 RBIs. "It's disappointing, not just individually, but collectively, too, because the team has been playing well," he said. "To not be a part of it and just watch it is sort of tough, but I'm still watching the guys and pulling for them. Just from that perspective, it's tough, but I'll be back and everything should go well and I'll do everything I can to be back as soon as I can, and hopefully be stronger. "It's a pretty common surgery, I guess, in the spine world these days. With the fusion, the vertebrae is actually stronger than what it was before. But the main thing is to get the pressure off the nerve, and after that, a lot of times the symptoms respond immediately and other times it takes a little longer for the strength to come back." For the Nationals: Steve Lombardozzi LF Bryce Harper CF Ryan Zimmerman 3B Adam LaRoche 1B Michael Morse DH Ian Desmond SS Danny Espinosa 2B Roger Bernadina RF Jesus Flores C Jordan Zimmermann RHP NOTE: Matt Lindstrom allowed three runs (one earned) and three hits, and walked a batter, in 1 1/3 innings at Double-A Bowie. He threw 32 pitches, 18 for strikes. Lindstrom will throw one inning on Sunday and could be activated on Tuesday.