DODGERS NOTEBOOK: VALENTIN RETURNS, BUT MUST WEAR A BRACE.Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer Jose Valentin can play for the Dodgers again, just not without a pesky knee brace. Valentin was activated from the disabled list Sunday after missing nearly three months with torn knee ligaments, but he won't return to his customary spot at third base. Valentin will play in left field because the trio of Oscar Robles Oscar M. Robles (b. April 9, 1976, in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico) has spent much of this decade as a third baseman for the Mexico City Red Devils (Diablos Rojos del México), and briefly as an infielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers from May 2005 through 2006. , Mike Edwards and Antonio Perez have been solid in the interim. Robles Robles is a common surname in the Spanish language meaning oaks, and may refer to:
n. Baseball The infielder stationed near third base. Noun 1. third baseman - (baseball) the person who plays third base third sacker , and he's batting .296. Valentin has no problem heading to left field - he's played 26 games in the outfield - but he does mind the contraption around his right knee. ``I've been working with it for two weeks,'' Valentin said. ``It's not easy, but it's the safest way I can play - that's what I was told by the doctors. I'd really like to play without it, but they're saying it's a risk.'' Valentin played 12 games in his minor-league rehabilitation stint at Triple-A Las Vegas Las Vegas (läs vā`gəs), city (1990 pop. 258,295), seat of Clark co., S Nev.; inc. 1911. It is the largest city in Nevada and the center of one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. with the knee brace, batting .400 with two home runs, three doubles and five RBI RBI abbr. Baseball runs batted in Noun 1. rbi - a run that is the result of the batter's performance; "he had more than 100 rbi last season" run batted in . To make room for Valentin, outfielder Jayson Werth Jayson Richard Gowan Werth (born May 20, 1979 in Springfield, Illinois) is an outfielder in Major League Baseball who currently plays for the Philadelphia Phillies. He has usually been a bench player, but injuries to regular right fielder Shane Victorino and his backup Michael was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a sore left knee. Dodgers manager Jim Tracy
Valentin last played in the outfield in 2001 with the Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are a professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. The White Sox are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the White Sox have played in U.S. . He played left and center field in winter ball in Puerto Rico, but he hadn't played with a brace before. ``It's uncomfortable, but it's the only choice I have,'' he said. --Famous blister: Derek Lowe will get an extra day off this week in an effort to help heal the blister on his right thumb. After today's off day, Jeff Weaver will pitch Tuesday at Washington, with D.J. Houlton and Brad Penny to follow. Lowe will pitch again Friday at Pittsburgh, and Odalis Perez will go Saturday. Penny and Perez also will receive an extra day off. Whether Lowe will need more time is undetermined. ``We'll see what an extra day does for him,'' Tracy said. ``The two starts he had before (Sunday) were exceptional. We'll take it a day at a time and see how it does.'' --Great catch: It took catcher Dioner Navarro just two days since his call-up from Las Vegas to impress Tracy. ``He comes as advertised, as far as I'm concerned,'' Tracy said. ``He's taking very competitive at-bats. What I see from a defensive standpoint, he's very quiet. He appears to me to be a good guy to throw to. He has very little excess movement. He's a good-looking receiver.'' |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion