DODGERS NOTEBOOK: FURCAL NOT YET READY TO RETURN.Byline: TONY JACKSON
Anthony (Antonio) Jackson, best known as Tony Jackson Staff Writer MILWAUKEE -- Dodgers officials won't say that injured shortstop Rafael Furcal Rafael Antoni Furcal[1] (born August 24, 1977 in Loma de Cabrera, Dominican Republic),[2] nicknamed "Fookie", is a shortstop in Major League Baseball who plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers. no longer is a possibility to return from the disabled list as soon as he becomes eligible Saturday, But reading between the lines Between the lines can refer to:
Furcal furcal /fur·cal/ (fur´k'l) shaped like a fork; forked. fur·cal adj. Forked. furcal forked. , who suffered a sprained left ankle in a near-collision with outfielder Jason Repko Jason Edward Repko (born December 27, 1980 in East Chicago, Indiana) is an outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Primarily a utility outfielder, his career had been slowed by numerous injuries. in a March 22 spring training game, still hasn't pushed his running program beyond a light jog. He will have to do that before he takes ground balls; and he will have to take ground balls before he even thinks of coming off the DL. "We're not going to try to rush him back too soon," Dodgers trainer Stan Conte said. "Once we get him out there, we want to keep him out there. Just because you put his body back out there, it doesn't mean you're putting the same baseball player out there." Furcal played catch with Conte from about 75 feet before Monday's season opener but did so gingerly, leaving little indication he was on the verge On the Verge (or The Geography of Yearning) is a play written by Eric Overmyer. It makes extensive use of esoteric language and pop culture references from the late nineteenth century to 1955. of returning. While no one is saying Furcal has had a setback, he said as recently as a week ago that he probably would be ready for Opening Day -- which obviously came and went without him. "What he has done is reach a plateau that he got to relatively quickly," Dodgers manager Grady Little William Grady Little (born March 30, 1950 in Abilene, Texas) is a manager in Major League Baseball. He guided the Boston Red Sox from 2002 to 2003, and has been manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2006. said. "Now, he has kind of leveled off. He still isn't where he needs to be in order to play. We won't eliminate him (for this weekend) yet. But the more we draw nearer to that day, there is more of a chance he might not be ready." Not that any of that seems especially discouraging. "We have been pretty pleased the last 10 days," Conte said. "He has reduced the swelling and gotten his range and strength back. But right now, we're in a holding pattern until he can get into his running program." Bigbie staying: Non-roster outfielder Larry Bigbie Larry Robert Bigbie (b. November 4, 1977, in Hobart, Indiana) is a Major League Baseball left fielder who is currently a minor-league player for the Richmond Braves the triple A affiliate for the Atlanta Braves organization. He attended Ball State University. , who didn't make the club despite a .357 average in spring training, suffered a knee injury while playing center field in Thursday night's Freeway Series opener, keeping him out of the final twoexhibition games against the Angels. Little said the injury was so minor that it had no bearing on the club's decision not to keep Bigbie and that Bigbie will be ready to play when Triple-A Las Vegas begins its season Thursday at Salt Lake. Although club officials actually gave Bigbie a few extra hours beyond the end of his contractual window to find a major-league job elsewhere, the veteran still couldn't find one and now has agreed to report to Las Vegas. Bigbie has another escape clause, but it doesn't kick in until June 1. CAPTION(S): box Box: DODGERS vs. MILWAUKEE - Tony Jackson |
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