Vladimir Guerrero is out for at least a month
An offense that was already struggling to score runs received a major body blow Friday when Vladimir Guerrero was diagnosed with a torn pectoral muscle, an injury that sent the Angels slugger to the disabled list and will sideline him for at least a month and probably longer.
âObviously, short of Vlad needing surgery, this is a big blow,â Manager Mike Scioscia said. âWeâll see how he progresses. Some of the windows weâve been given [for how long heâll be out] are optimistic; some are longer. But weâre going to be conservative. Heâll be reevaluated in a month, and weâll see where he is.â
Guerrero, who suffered the injury while throwing from right field to third base in an April 2 exhibition in Dodger Stadium and was relegated to designated hitter for the first eight games, had an MRI test Thursday in Seattle. The initial diagnosis was a strain.
But Guerrero returned to Southern California to be examined Friday by Dr. Lewis Yocum, the Angelsâ team physician, who reviewed the MRI results and deemed the injury more serious.
Though Guerrero, who was batting .250 with one home run and three runs batted in, said the injury didnât affect his swing, Yocum recommended shutting down the teamâs cleanup batter to give the muscle a chance to heal.
It now appears doubtful Guerrero, one of only two players -- Lou Gehrig is the other -- to hit .300 or better with at least 25 homers for 11 straight years, will be able to return to right field this season. The Angels are optimistic he will be able to return as a DH.
âAt some point, heâll be able to hit and play before he can throw,â Scioscia said. âRight now, Dr. Yocum feels the best course is to rest a bit, let it calm down.â
Guerrero underwent surgery on his right knee in October and didnât begin exhibition play this spring until the third week of March, but he said the knee has been feeling good. He has not been on the disabled list since 2005, when he separated his left shoulder.
Batting third, at DH ...
On Friday night, it was Maicer Izturis. The utility infielder is hardly a prototypical No. 3 hitter -- he has 16 homers in 397 big league games -- but in Guerreroâs absence, Scioscia went for more of a situational look in hopes of setting the table for Bobby Abreu, Torii Hunter and Kendry Morales.
The move is not without precedent. Izturis batted third 14 times last season, and the Angels were 11-3 in those games. The switch-hitter had a .329 on-base percentage, and hit .319 with runners in scoring position and .444 (four for nine) with the bases loaded in 2008.
âWeâre going to have to get creative, reconfigure some things and focus more on setting the table for Bobby, Torii and Kendry,â Scioscia said. âIzzy gives us more of a small-ball look. Heâs shown the ability to get on base and drive in runs, and he has a real good approach with runners in scoring position.â
Scioscia said reserve outfielder Gary Matthews Jr. would get more playing time, and he did not rule out using the powerful Mike Napoli at DH on the nights he doesnât catch. That move would necessitate the addition of a third catcher.
The Angels plan to make a roster move before todayâs game to replace Guerrero. The likely candidates are infielders Brandon Wood, who is hitting .333 with three homers and four runs batted in at triple A, or Sean Rodriguez, who is batting .280 with three homers and 10 RBIs.
If the Angels add a third catcher, it would be Bobby Wilson or Ryan Budde.
Pitching in
The Angelsâ biggest concern entering the season -- a rotation that was without the injured John Lackey, Ervin Saunders and Kelvim Escobar -- has been its biggest strength.
Entering Friday, Angels starting pitchers had combined for a major league-low 2.60 earned-run average.
âThere hasnât been a start when they havenât given us a chance to win the game,â Scioscia said. âWhen we get our offense going, thatâs going to translate to a lot of wins.â
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