azdad1978
Championship!!!!
David Vest and Tim Tyers
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 12, 2005 12:00 AM
The Diamondbacks, just six games into the season before Monday night's game with Colorado, added a third relief pitcher - right-hander Oscar Villarreal - to the disabled list.
"Villarreal has a slight tear of basically his rotator cuff," head trainer Paul Lessard said after Villarreal underwent a magnetic resonance imaging exam. "That junction, where the tendons come together, there is a slight tear in there. Where he was tender, I was more worried about the labrum but thank goodness that looked good."
Right-hander Lance Cormier, who went 1-4 with an 8.14 ERA in 17 appearances for Arizona last year, was called up from Triple-A Tucson to replace Villarreal.
"It never changes," Cormier said. "It's always very exciting no matter how many times it happens. This is my third time getting the call-up, and it's the same feeling. It's good to be up here."
Villarreal felt tightness in his shoulder after throwing a pitch to Jason Repko in the seventh inning of Sunday's victory over Los Angeles. Repko homered, and Villarreal left the game.
Right-handers Greg Aquino (ulna nerve irritation) and Jose Valverde (biceps tendinitis) also are on the DL.
"We'll know more about Aquino (late Monday)," manager Bob Melvin said. "The nerve thing is a touchy thing. If it happens again then maybe we're looking at surgery. We're hoping that's not the case.
"Oscar is probably two weeks to a month away (from returning). I think we're going to speed Valverde up a little bit because everything has gone very well with him. We could be looking at two weeks with him."
Clayton rested
Shortstop Royce Clayton, who is 4 for 23 this season, was given most of Monday night off.
Melvin said Clayton did not start because the Diamondbacks have a night game and a day game coming up next.
Alex Cintron started in Clayton's place and went 0 for 2.
Clayton pinch-hit in the eighth inning and popped out.
"Guys like that are going to be important and you have to put them out there periodically so they don't lose their edge," Melvin said of Cintron.
Short hops
Colorado outfielder Jorge Piedra tested positive for steroids, and was suspended for 10 days as a first-time violator of Major League Baseball's substance abuse program.
Piedra is assigned to Triple-A Colorado Springs, but is on Colorado's 40-man roster so he is subject to MLB's new testing program. The minor league penalty for the same offense is 15 games.
• Center fielder Jose Cruz Jr. didn't start for the second consecutive game because of tightness in his lower back and had an MRI before the game.
"He's feeling better today, but we want to make sure we get him to 100 percent," Melvin said.
• Shawn Green, who was drilled in the side of the knee by Dodgers starter Scott Erickson in Saturday's loss, has been hitting with a protective guard on the spot.
"(Sunday) it was pretty sore, but it gets better as it loosens up and in a couple days it will be gone," Green said.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbacks/articles/0412dbnb0412.html
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 12, 2005 12:00 AM
The Diamondbacks, just six games into the season before Monday night's game with Colorado, added a third relief pitcher - right-hander Oscar Villarreal - to the disabled list.
"Villarreal has a slight tear of basically his rotator cuff," head trainer Paul Lessard said after Villarreal underwent a magnetic resonance imaging exam. "That junction, where the tendons come together, there is a slight tear in there. Where he was tender, I was more worried about the labrum but thank goodness that looked good."
Right-hander Lance Cormier, who went 1-4 with an 8.14 ERA in 17 appearances for Arizona last year, was called up from Triple-A Tucson to replace Villarreal.
"It never changes," Cormier said. "It's always very exciting no matter how many times it happens. This is my third time getting the call-up, and it's the same feeling. It's good to be up here."
Villarreal felt tightness in his shoulder after throwing a pitch to Jason Repko in the seventh inning of Sunday's victory over Los Angeles. Repko homered, and Villarreal left the game.
Right-handers Greg Aquino (ulna nerve irritation) and Jose Valverde (biceps tendinitis) also are on the DL.
"We'll know more about Aquino (late Monday)," manager Bob Melvin said. "The nerve thing is a touchy thing. If it happens again then maybe we're looking at surgery. We're hoping that's not the case.
"Oscar is probably two weeks to a month away (from returning). I think we're going to speed Valverde up a little bit because everything has gone very well with him. We could be looking at two weeks with him."
Clayton rested
Shortstop Royce Clayton, who is 4 for 23 this season, was given most of Monday night off.
Melvin said Clayton did not start because the Diamondbacks have a night game and a day game coming up next.
Alex Cintron started in Clayton's place and went 0 for 2.
Clayton pinch-hit in the eighth inning and popped out.
"Guys like that are going to be important and you have to put them out there periodically so they don't lose their edge," Melvin said of Cintron.
Short hops
Colorado outfielder Jorge Piedra tested positive for steroids, and was suspended for 10 days as a first-time violator of Major League Baseball's substance abuse program.
Piedra is assigned to Triple-A Colorado Springs, but is on Colorado's 40-man roster so he is subject to MLB's new testing program. The minor league penalty for the same offense is 15 games.
• Center fielder Jose Cruz Jr. didn't start for the second consecutive game because of tightness in his lower back and had an MRI before the game.
"He's feeling better today, but we want to make sure we get him to 100 percent," Melvin said.
• Shawn Green, who was drilled in the side of the knee by Dodgers starter Scott Erickson in Saturday's loss, has been hitting with a protective guard on the spot.
"(Sunday) it was pretty sore, but it gets better as it loosens up and in a couple days it will be gone," Green said.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbacks/articles/0412dbnb0412.html
