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Second Verse Same as the First
2005-03-14 10:50
by Derek Smart

Those of us hoping for a quiet, uneventful spring can put that wish on the next flight to Nowheresville.

First there was Kerry Wood's shoulder, now it's Mark Prior's elbow.

The good news is an MRI showed no damage to the ligament or nerve. Here's a quote from Cubs' trainer, Mark O'Neal:

The best-case scenario is that in two or three days, he'd start playing catch and it's completely relieved and we move forward.

Fantastic. Just what I wanted to hear. Except, that leaves out the last sentence in the quote:

That's just purely speculation.

So, let me get this straight. He's fine, except for the pain, and he should be throwing soon, unless it still hurts, and there's not a thing to worry about, unless it doesn't go away.

Stock in Pepto Bismol just went up 20 bucks.

Comments
2005-03-14 11:05:57
1.   Zoompet
Can we now read more into the fact that to start camp they had him throw simulated games, or is that just a red herring?
2005-03-14 11:55:13
2.   wireda1a
As a Cub Optimist, I'll immediately assume the worst. So my next question is, what will the rotation be if Wood & Prior are shelved?

Zambrano
Maddux
Rusch
Mitre
Dempster?

2005-03-14 12:06:25
3.   Derek Smart
wireda1a,

That looks about right. The only other options I can see right now are Angel Guzman and Jimmy Anderson. Guzman won't be chosen because they just aren't going to risk him at this point, and Anderson almost certainly wouldn't make it over Mitre, Rusch or Dempster because he's just not good enough.

In any case, realistic as that list might be, it still makes me want to cry.

2005-03-14 12:59:49
4.   cmat
Too early to panic yet. Heck, even if they miss Prior and Wood for the first few weeks of April, they still will be in good shape (provided they have them for the rest of the season.)
Of course, that's just speculation...
2005-03-14 13:18:40
5.   Derek Smart
Don't worry. No one's panicing here.

Oooooo, look! An open tenth story window.......

2005-03-14 13:22:02
6.   GuyA
I cringed when they didn't sign Clement; and nothing since then has made me feel any better about it.
2005-03-14 17:17:04
7.   Horsefeathers
I cringed when Clement got 24 million over 3 years, are you sure handing him that type of money was the right move for the Cubs GuyA? If they had that money to spend, it would have been better spent on the bullpen in my opinion.
2005-03-14 17:57:04
8.   Sandus
Heard Prior on the radio saying it doesn't hurt but the trainers insisted on shutting him down just to make sure he doesn't ruin anything. I'm personally more worried about Wood's shoulder.
2005-03-14 22:13:03
9.   David Sanders
For good measure, Hansen had an apendectomy today. It looks like the dream of having a stocked bench of Hairston, Holly, Dubois, and Hansen -- granted one of the 1st 3 will likely be in the starting lineup a lot -- is gone. Hopefully they let him get a few at bats in AAA when he's healthy and add him to the 40 man. Hansen's ability to handle third and Hairston's all-around versatility makes Macias expendable. Actually a scarecrow dressed in a Cub uni would make Macias expendable, but I don't know if management will ever see it that way.
2005-03-15 01:12:13
10.   wireda1a
Actually, I think that plastic deer that resided in the Cubs dugout made Macias expendable.

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