Hagins Suffers Hand Injury

The star-crossed career of Lake Elsinore catcher Steve Hagins took a turn for the worse May 27 when he suffered a torn ligament in his left hand.

Hagins, who will be out six to eight weeks, was injured during a play at home plate in a game against the Stockton Pilots. An examination revealed a torn ligament between the index finger and the thumb on his left hand. Hagins was hitting .273 with four home runs and 21 runs batted in.

His career has had other road blocks. Hagins hit .507 as a senior at University High School and was projected as a first-round draft pick in 1993. He learned he had a heart condition and teams backed off; Hagins wasn’t drafted until the 23rd round by Cleveland.

He signed with Arizona State, but when he was told he would not be allowed to play baseball there, he opted to play at San Diego State.

The Angels drafted him in the 31st round in 1997.

His injury has left the Storm thin at catcher. Besides losing Hagins, Bryan Graves was shipped to triple-A Edmonton. Thus, Patrick Johnson was the only catcher on the Storm roster. So Matt Curtis, a former catcher turned utility player, was moved back behind the plate. Curtis, who is hitting .297 with six home runs and 34 RBIs, has caught the last two games.

Edmonton (28-27): Third baseman Jamie Burke has hit .400 (22 for 55) during his current 15-game hitting streak. Burke is hitting .357 with eight doubles, three home runs and 13 RBIs. Outfielder Matt Luke is healthy again. Luke had a strained back muscle during spring training and remained in Arizona for an extended spring. He is four for eight, with two home runs and eight RBIs in two games.

Erie, Pa. (34-23): Right-hander Matt Wise is 7-2 with a 2.63 ERA. Brian Cooper is 6-1 with a 2.92 ERA. Ramon Ortiz is 5-4 with a 3.86 ERA.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa (25-31): Third baseman Mike Christensen is among the Midwest League leaders in home runs (nine) and RBIs (44).