Pujols’ injury forces Cards to shuffle
This is a much larger challenge for the St. Louis Cardinals: Albert Pujols will be out indefinitely with a strained muscle on his right side.
Pujols, last year’s N.L. MVP and this season’s major league leader in home runs and RBIs, was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday.
“Life would be easier with Albert,” closer Jason Isringhausen said. “But we’ve played without our star players before. We’ll have to weather the storm.”
Last year, the Cardinals soldiered through two Scott Rolen shoulder operations, Reggie Sanders’ broken leg and Yadier Molina’s broken hand, injuries that did not prevent them from their second straight 100-win season.
An MRI exam scheduled for today will give the team a better picture how long Pujols, batting .308 with 25 homers and 65 RBIs, will be sidelined. Dr. George Paletta, the team’s orthopedic consultant, said Saturday that he could be out as long as six weeks.
On Sunday, trainer Barry Weinberg characterized the injury as “moderate to severe,” saying it was closer to severe than moderate, and said Pujols had limited mobility and pain.
“Now, we just go through the steps of getting him better,” Weinberg said. “The first thing he has to do is normal things: coughing, sneezing and opening the door.
“Then we can get more aggressive with the rehab and we can get more aggressive with some baseball activity.”
Manager Tony La Russa said Pujols heard something pop when he tried to chase Aramis Ramirez’ foul pop fly in the second inning on Saturday, then pulled up and grabbed his right side. Pujols finished the inning but was removed before the third inning.
“He doesn’t give into pain very much,” La Russa said. “So I knew there was something going on.”
Weinberg said it was a positive sign that Pujols was injured in the field rather than swinging.
Jim Edmonds, nursing an abdominal injury that sidelined him for a week and threatened to land him on the DL, too, played first base Sunday against the Chicago Cubs after taking ground balls at the position a few hours before the game.
Chacon makes rehab start
Shawn Chacon said he felt ready to return to the Yankees’ starting rotation after throwing five innings for Double-A Trenton (N.J.) in a rehabilitation start.
The right-hander, working his way back from a hematoma on his left leg, allowed three earned runs, four hits and two walks while striking out three in the Thunder’s 7-6 loss to Reading.
“I think I’m ready,” he said. “It’s not my call, but coming out and judging by the way I pitched with my fastball today, everything else seemed to fall into place after that.”
Chacon averaged 87 mph on his fastball. He was scheduled to throw 75 pitches and ended up throwing 72. He threw 47 for strikes.
Ex-ump Gregg has stroke
Former major league umpire Eric Gregg, who spent his career trying to overcome weight problems, had a stroke and was unconscious Sunday night, his son said.
The 55-year-old Gregg was at Lankenau Hospital in Philadelphia, Kevin Gregg said.
“There’s no sure sign how much better he can get from here,” he said. “He has a large amount of blood in the brain right now.”
Gregg was among 22 umpires who lost their jobs in 1999 when their labor plan of mass resignations backfired. Recognized for his 300-pound-plus frame and large strike zone, he worked the 1989 World Series, four championship series, two division series and one All-Star game.
Clearing the bases
The White Sox placed veteran reliever Jeff Nelson on the 15-day disabled list because of a sore right elbow and recalled right-hander Agustin Montero from Triple-A Charlotte. … Cubs reliever Scott Williamson was placed on the 15-day DL with tendinitis in his right elbow. The team recalled right-hander Carlos Marmol from Double-A West Tenn. … Astros ace Roy Oswalt was scratched from Sunday’s scheduled start against the Cincinnati Reds with back spasms. … The Tigers optioned reliever Chris Spurling to Triple-A Toledo. … The Athletics optioned catcher Jeremy Brown and right-hander Matt Roney to Triple-A Sacramento to clear room for the return of outfielder Milton Bradley and reliever Jay Witasick from the DL.