"Reds third baseman Scott Rolen doesn't know if the surgery on his shoulder will improve his hitting stroke yet. But if NASCAR calls ...

"If you can't do real life, you can't do baseball. Little stuff, like driving a car," Rolen said. "I'm a better driver right now, because my head's not locked up on my shoulder

The prognosis is for Rolen to return in four to six weeks.

"Knowing Scotty, it will be sooner and not later," Reds manager Dusty Baker said.

That would get Rolen back this season.

"I have aspirations of returning this year and they have aspirations of me returning this year," he said. "It is less than a week from surgery and I still have to strengthen it, but we are going to rehab it correctly and see where we are and play some more baseball.

"When we get to that point, we'll make a decision.""