It certainly wasn't a speech about the end of his Orioles career, but when asked today if he has wondered if he does have a future with the club, Brian Roberts admitted he may not. His contract ends after this season and Roberts is embracing his time remaining with the team, even if that turns out to be just six more games.
"Sure, we all think about our future and what that might hold, but I don't have any idea at this point," Roberts said. "I'm just trying to enjoy every day that I've had here and I've loved all 14 or 15 years I've been in the Orioles organization.
"Hopefully it's not the end, but if it is, I'm certainly grateful for every day I've had. I'm going to enjoy this last week and hopefully it's not going to be my last week," he said.
While talking about his potential future, Roberts is pretty qualifield to talk about the potential rehab Manny Machado is facing, whatever it turns out to be.
"You know, my heart broke for him," Roberts said. "We don't know the extent yet, but I'm sure there is going to be some rehab involved. I know what that entails and it is hard physically, emotionally and all the way around and I just hated that for him.
"He'll be back 100 percent, there is no doubt in my mind. It's not a matter of if, just when. He has age on his side. It helps to rehab at 21. He has a lot of great things going for him. I believe he'll be better than he's ever been."
Roberts was asked what advice he might give Machado about rehab.
"Probably as cliche as it is, to literally take one day at a time," Roberts said. "When you start looking too far forward or backward, you get discouraged. You try to stay in the moment and make the best of that day and do all you can on that one day and not worry about the future. Realize, if you do that every day, you'll be in a good place in the end."
Roberts, as well as almost any Orioles player, knows how far sports medicine has come.
"I'm living proof of a lot of it. I'm definitely thankful and we all realize how good it is," he said. "Crazy part, we may be at the tip of the iceberg of a lot of things.
"He was that close to the offseason and a chance to look back on what for him was an incredible year. Now, all the sudden, what lies in front may look more daunting than what lies behind. That is hard mentally for sure."
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