Friday, May 06, 2005 |
Roster Notes
Izturis Still Uncertain For Tonight
Steve Henson in the Times writes that it's uncertain whether Cesar Izturis will play in tonight's game against the Reds:It is unclear whether shortstop Cesar Izturis will be ready to play tonight. He came out of the game Wednesday two innings after fouling a pitch off his right ankle. The impact caused him to roll the ankle, and the injury has been diagnosed as a mild sprain.Until Perez returns, the Dodgers do not have a qualified backup shortstop. Jose Valentin, the only other player with significant experience at the position, is out for more than two months because of a knee injury.
Third baseman Norihiro Nakamura filled in for Izturis on Wednesday, but the infielder has little experience as a shortstop. Utility player Mike Edwards, who replaced Valentin on the roster, is considered a better outfielder than infielder.
If Izturis will be out for more than a day or two, the Dodgers could promote Jose Flores, who is batting .346 at Las Vegas, or purchase the contract of Mexican League shortstop Oscar Robles.
Josh Paul Available This Weekend
Reserve catcher Josh Paul should be available for work this weekend, according to the Times. Benjie Molina won't be available for his duties until "Monday at the earliest".The Return (No Deposit) Of Troy Percival
With the Detroit Tigers, comes one Troy Percival (3.97 ERA, 1-1, 2 BS, 2 S), former Angel. Mike DiGiovanna in the Times gets Darin Erstad to note that seeing Percy in a Tigers uniform is "weird", but it's not all bad: the phone's still there."He was a great teammate," setup man Scot Shields said. "We've plugged a lot of people into the bullpen over the years, and it's still good. A lot of that had to do with him."His scoreless streak against the Twins might have ended, but Percy is one tough old cuss:It still does. When setup man Brendan Donnelly struggled in his first four games this season, giving up five earned runs and two home runs, Percival called the right-hander with some advice. In his next seven games, Donnelly threw 8 2/3 scoreless innings, lowering his earned-run average from 7.94 to 3.14.
He gave up the first earned run of his career to Minnesota in an April 12 loss, ending a 40-inning streak against the Twins, and blew his first save opportunity of the season April 22, giving up a game-tying homer to Minnesota's Justin Morneau.Percival stormed off the mound and, in a typical display of his stubbornness, insisted on pitching the 10th inning. He retired six consecutive hitters in the ninth and 10th, his longest outing in four years, and the Tigers won in the bottom of the 10th.
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