Notes: Ordonez out with viral infection
Right fielder expected to miss at least two games
DETROIT -- Magglio Ordonez is expected to miss at least two games with what
the Tigers are calling a viral infection.
Ordonez left Wednesday's game after four innings complaining of dizziness.
Further examination determined that his already weakened immune system has
essentially been hit by a flu bug.
Up to now, manager Alan Trammell has left it up to his All-Star right fielder
whether he can play. On Thursday, he took it out of Ordonez's hands.
"We are not going to mess around any more," Trammell said. "It might be a
day. It might be a couple of days. We're going to go day to day, but we're
going to make sure."
Trammell held out Ordonez Thursday and will not start Ordonez in Friday's
series opener against Cleveland, though he wouldn't rule out using him as a
pinch-hitter Friday if he felt healthy all day.
That could be tough, since Ordonez hasn't felt healthy for more than two
weeks. He had been suffering with diverticulitis since the next-to-last week
of Spring Training until medication and dietary changes alleviated the
problem. He was still regaining strength when the virus hit him.
Ivan Rodriguez knows about the pressure of playing every day after changing
teams. After seeing Ordonez Wednesday, Pudge was concerned.
"Yesterday I came down to see him in the tunnel," Rodriguez said. "He wasn't
looking good. He was all white and almost throwing up, headache, dizzy. He
needs to think of his health first, then play. 'It's a long season,' I told
him. He needs to go to a doctor, do some tests and see what happens."
Ordonez still didn't look very good on Thursday when he briefly appeared in
the clubhouse before the game.
Bobby Higginson, who replaced Ordonez in the fifth inning Wednesday, made his
first start of the season in right field Thursday. He could do the same
Friday, though Trammell said he hoped to give Nook Logan a start "soon."
A situation like this, ironically, is one reason Trammell cited last week
when he decided to keep Higginson on the Opening Day roster over Marcus
Thames.
"That what a majority of the reasoning was," Trammell said. "When you go in,
you know things could pop up. And, well, here we are."
When worlds collide: Both Craig Monroe and Higginson said they were fine
after they ran into each other on Mike Sweeney's first-inning fly ball to
right-center field.
Funny that they basically said the same thing, since that seems to be how the
play got started.
"I called it. He called it," Monroe said. "It looks like I was calling it and
he was calling it at the same time and we ran into each other."
By the time one heard the other, it was too late to avoid contact. Monroe
made the catch before both tumbled to the ground in the directions they were
originally headed, suggesting it was not a head-on collision.
"At the last second I kind of heard him call for it," Higginson said, "and
then I got out of the way just enough to avoid a big collision."
The two were able to smile about it on the way into the dugout. "I played
football when I was in high school," Monroe said. "I've been hit going across
the middle plenty of times."
Turning two the second time: Jason Johnson told Brandon Inge not to worry
after his errant bobble of a potential double play ground ball in the fifth
inning of what was still a scoreless game. Two pitches later, Omar Infante
and Carlos Guillen gave both of them reason to relax.
Inge's error put runners on first and second with one out and John Buck at
the plate. Buck hit a sharp ground deep into the hole between first and
second. Omar Infante not only fielded it, but whirled and fired on target to
Guillen at second, starting an inning-ending twin killing.
The play demonstrated not only that the duo's timing is already back despite
both players missing much of Spring Training, but that Infante's right
shoulder -- which had limited his arm strength -- is no longer an issue.
Guillen had no doubt. "It was a nice play," he said. "He's got a cannon."
Sorry, International League: While Higginson is proving his worth in Detroit,
Marcus Thames resumed his assault on Triple-A pitching where he left off a
year ago. He capped a 5-for-5 performance with a game-tying home run with two
outs in the ninth inning, sending the Toledo Mud Hens' season opener at
Durham into extra innings.
Rain suspended the game soon after nine innings. The contest will resume
Friday night.
Sleeth injury: Double-A Erie right-hander and Tigers first-round draft pick
Kyle Sleeth's arm injury is not expected to be serious, though he'll likely
miss the first month or so of the season with tightness in his right forearm
flexor above his elbow.
Head athletic trainer Kevin Rand said Sleeth, expected to anchor the
Seawolves staff, left his final Spring Training start last weekend. He
underwent an MRI exam Tuesday in Detroit before being examined by team doctor
Kyle Anderson. He will not throw for two weeks, during which he'll return to
Lakeland and undergo a rehab program.
Palmer released: The Tigers officially ended Dean Palmer's comeback attempt
Thursday when they announced the infielder had been released from his Minor
League contract.
Palmer retired a year ago due to neck and shoulder problems but felt strong
enough to try a comeback this spring. He had his best Spring Training in
years as a non-roster invitee, but Detroit's roster crunch left him out of a
Major League job. Palmer decided not to take a Minor League assignment,
seeing little hope of making the big-league club, and he did not receive
interest from other clubs.
--
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◆ From: 61.230.11.128
※ 編輯: keal 來自: 61.230.11.128 (04/09 06:56)
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