Pujols may be done for the season - Page 5

Demonpenz · 06-03-2006, 05:36 PM

ST. LOUIS -- Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols was removed from Saturday's game against the Chicago Cubs after two innings after straining his right oblique muscle while chasing a foul popup.

Pujols, who leads the major leagues with 25 home runs and 65 RBI, pulled up and grabbed his right side on Aramis Ramirez' foul ball with one out in the second. He finished the inning after consulting with a team trainer and manager Tony La Russa but was replaced in the third.

John Rodriguez moved into the third slot, playing left field, and Hector Luna moved from left field to first base.

The Cardinals said Pujols would be re-examined Sunday.

Pujols has struck out in four of his last seven at-bats after fanning in the first against Glendon Rusch. Before Friday, he had struck out 16 times in 177 at-bats.

Sure-Oz · 06-04-2006, 02:16 PM

Derek Lee is a good player too, but c'mon Pujols earned that considerign his team did real well too! I think he is half that team, not taking away from Derek Lee, cause without him the Cubs suck too.

sedated · 06-04-2006, 05:37 PM

Its pretty stupid to say that, just because of one injury, Pujols is juicing.

I want to see the Cardinals fail in the worst way, but not at the expense of one of the best players in the game.

No one deserves another Sweeney situation, even those turd-gurgling fuck-birds.

sedated · 06-04-2006, 05:43 PM

ST. LOUIS -- This is a much larger challenge for the St. Louis Cardinals: Albert Pujols will be out indefinitely with a strained muscle on his right side.

Pujols, last year's NL MVP and this season's major league leader in home runs and RBI, was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday.

"Life would be easier with Albert," closer Jason Isringhausen said. "But we've played without our star players before. We'll have to weather the storm."

Last year, the Cardinals soldiered through Scott Rolen's two shoulder operations, Reggie Sanders' broken leg and Yadier Molina's broken hand, injuries that did not prevent them from their second straight 100-win season.

An MRI exam scheduled for Monday will give the team a better picture how long Pujols, batting .308 with 25 homers and 65 RBI, will be sidelined. Dr. George Paletta, the team's orthopedic consultant, said Saturday that Pujols could be out as long as six weeks.

On Sunday, trainer Barry Weinberg characterized the injury as "moderate to severe," saying it was closer to severe than moderate, and said Pujols had limited mobility and pain.

"Now, we just go through the steps of getting him better," Weinberg said. "The first thing he has to do is normal things: coughing, sneezing and opening the door.

"Then we can get more aggressive with the rehab and we can get more aggressive with some baseball activity."

Manager Tony La Russa said Pujols heard something pop when he tried to chase Aramis Ramirez's foul pop fly in the second inning on Saturday, then pulled up and grabbed his right side. Pujols finished the inning but was removed before the third inning.

"He doesn't give into pain very much," La Russa said. "So I knew there was something going on."

Weinberg said it was a positive sign that Pujols was injured in the field rather than swinging.

Jim Edmonds, nursing an abdominal injury that sidelined him for a week and threatened to land him on the DL, too, played first base Sunday against the Chicago Cubs after taking ground balls at the position a few hours before the game. Edmonds was 3-for-3 with two RBI, helping the Cardinals win 9-6.

Edmonds, an eight-time Gold Glove center fielder, has been unable to run since being injured. But La Russa noted that he can swing a bat, and said Edmonds would not worsen his injury by playing.

"It's not rocket science here," Edmonds said. "The first baseman got hurt and we're short some guys. I figured if I can go out there and play for a couple of days and get a little bit better as I'm playing, it will be better for us. But if it's not, it's not."

Peek At The Oblique
What's involved: The two external abdominal oblique muscles lie on the sides and front of the abdomen and are the largest of the muscles in this area. These flat muscles are attached to the ribs and the pelvis in such a way that both muscles, acting together, bend the spine forward. One side acting alone can bend the vertebral column sideways and rotate it, bringing the shoulder of that side forward.
Diagnosis: A muscle pull, or strain, happens when a muscle is stretched more than normal, tearing some of the muscle fibers or partially detaching the tendon from the bone. Pain often starts when the muscle area is worked thereafter. A trainer can tell by asking the athlete certain questions.
Treatment: For the first 48 hours after the injury, ice and anti-inflammatory medications -- ibuprofen or aspirin -- are recommended to decrease the pain and speed recovery. Massage and heat can also help. But rest is best. After two days -- depending on the severity of the injury -- the athlete can start a gentle stretching program. Otherwise, it's important to avoid movements that cause pain or could aggravate the injury.

-- Source: WebMD (www.webmd.com)

La Russa said he's been told by team medical personnel that Edmonds cannot worsen the injury by playing.

"He's going to have some pain and he may get more pain from playing," La Russa said. "If it gets too painful to where he can't function, he doesn't play, but the injury will not be aggravated."

Rolen moved into Pujols' third slot in the lineup, and La Russa said Rolen most likely would bat third the majority of the time Pujols is out.

"You're not going to replace Albert Pujols," Rolen said. "You can search through the league for his replacement."

Cubs manager Dusty Baker did not have too much sympathy. The Cubs lost Derrek Lee with a broken wrist in April and also have played much of the year without pitcher Mark Prior and Kerry Wood.

"It just goes to show you it's a long season, No. 1," he said. "No. 2, it's a test of really who has the most depth."

Baker said losing Pujols or Lee was a good comparison. The Cubs were 12-27 since Lee was hurt on April 21.

"There's a direct correlation," Baker said. "Big-time."

Now comes the Cardinals' turn to deal with adversity.

"It's part of grinding through a season, it's just something you've got to deal with," La Russa said. "The guys that have a chance to play can make a contribution, and if they do, you get by with it."

On the plus side, Chris Carpenter is to come off the disabled list from bursitis in his back Tuesday and start against the Reds. Carpenter won 21 games and the NL Cy Young Award last year.

Rookie Chris Duncan was recalled from Triple-A Memphis in time for Sunday's game against the Chicago Cubs. Duncan, beginning his second stint with the team this season, was batting .272 in 42 games with six homers and 25 RBI.

Duncan, the son of pitching coach Dave Duncan, appeared in four games earlier in the season and was 1-for-5 with a homer and three RBI. Duncan had a pinch infield hit in the sixth Sunday.

Buster Olney's blog

Albert Pujols is hurt, a devastating injury for the Cardinals. A handful of Baseball Tonight staffers were watching the Cardinals' game and saw Pujols reach to his lower back on his right side, and the first thing I thought was: Four weeks, at least.
• For more of Buster Olney's analysis, Click here.

Sure-Oz · 06-04-2006, 06:32 PM

I wonder if they'd want our best slugger/1b Doug MINKSDhALSHAOUSHAZjzzz

Sure-Oz · 06-04-2006, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by recxjake

sorry if this joke i posted was offensive... i saw it on another site and thought it was funny... sorry

did ya get alot of negative rep?

Eleazar · 06-04-2006, 08:59 PM

Don't get me wrong, I hate the Cardinals, but Pujols I don't mind. Sucks that he's hurt. I was kind of hoping he would take Bonds' single season record.

recxjake · 06-04-2006, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

did ya get alot of negative rep?

haha yup

**KcMizzou** · 06-04-2006, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by recxjake

haha yup

ChiefsCountry · 06-04-2006, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cochise

Don't get me wrong, I hate the Cardinals, but Pujols I don't mind. Sucks that he's hurt. I was kind of hoping he would take Bonds' single season record.

Thats how I feel.

But to get to that joke, what if Pujols got traded to San Francisco?

06-03-2006, 05:36 PM
Demonpenz Woman should only make babies Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Apartment "G UNIT!" Casino cash: $2732136	Pujols may be done for the season ST. LOUIS -- Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols was removed from Saturday's game against the Chicago Cubs after two innings after straining his right oblique muscle while chasing a foul popup. Pujols, who leads the major leagues with 25 home runs and 65 RBI, pulled up and grabbed his right side on Aramis Ramirez' foul ball with one out in the second. He finished the inning after consulting with a team trainer and manager Tony La Russa but was replaced in the third. John Rodriguez moved into the third slot, playing left field, and Hector Luna moved from left field to first base. The Cardinals said Pujols would be re-examined Sunday. Pujols has struck out in four of his last seven at-bats after fanning in the first against Glendon Rusch. Before Friday, he had struck out 16 times in 177 at-bats.
Posts: 54,340

06-04-2006, 08:59 PM	#66
Eleazar Beyond the Rapids Join Date: May 2003 Location: Langley, VA Casino cash: $-370000	Don't get me wrong, I hate the Cardinals, but Pujols I don't mind. Sucks that he's hurt. I was kind of hoping he would take Bonds' single season record.
Posts: 80,659