Well Cubs fans, I know how you feel

[MizzouRah]

Pujols out with strained right oblique
Cardinals slugger likely heading to disabled list
By Matthew Leach / MLB.com

ST. LOUIS -- They've weathered one injury after another the past season and a half, but the Cardinals have never had to do without Albert Pujols for more than a few days. That's almost certainly about to change.
Pujols was removed from the Cardinals' game on Saturday against the Cubs due to a strained right oblique muscle, and it's unclear when he will be able to return. He will almost certainly be placed on the disabled list for the first time in his career, if not Sunday, then no later than Tuesday.
"There is serious concern," said Dr. George Paletta, "and it is the type of injury that we need to evaluate initially and again 18-24 hours later to get a better handle on it."
With one out in the top of the second inning, Pujols chased a short foul popup by Chicago third baseman Aramis Ramirez. He stopped short of catching the ball, and television replays showed that he grabbed at his right lower back on the play. The injury is in the rear of his torso, which is somewhat unusual in the case of oblique strains.
"He's going to miss a significant period of time," said manager Tony La Russa. "Anywhere from little significant to real significant. We can't tell for another 18-24 [hours]. But it's something we've got to deal with."
Cardinals assistant athletic trainer Greg Hauck and La Russa came out to check on Pujols when he first sustained the injury, but he remained in the game for the remainder of the second. His spot did not come up in the bottom of the third inning. When the Cardinals took the field defensively for the top of the third, John Rodriguez was inserted in left field and left fielder Hector Luna had moved to first base.
Pujols, the reigning National League Most Valuable Player, has missed just two games this year. He has never played fewer than 154 games in a Major League season. He has played through a slew of ailments, including an elbow injury in 2003 and plantar fasciitis for the past two years.
None of those injuries sent him to the DL. This one, however, is not one that he can simply play through and try to endure the pain.
"This is an injury that we are going to be extremely cautious with, because if you send the guy out there too early, then you have a major setback and a major re-injury," Paletta said.
"This is not an injury that he can go out and play with it sore, because that will put him at risk. He can't play at 60 or 70 percent."
Neither Paletta nor La Russa was willing to venture a guess as to the time Pujols will be out, but it's extremely unlikely to be short.
"If you told me right now he'd be out two weeks, I'd buy you dinner the rest of the year," La Russa said in his postgame news conference.
Oblique injuries are notoriously tricky -- as the Cardinals learned with Woody Williams in 2002 -- and this one does not appear to be a minor one.
"We grade them one, two and three," said Paletta. "One means it possibly stretched a little bit, two means it tore a little bit and three means it tore. So there is always tearing involved. If he comes in tomorrow and if he can rotate pretty well with little soreness, you can call this a mild or grade 1. If he can't rotate his trunk well, then this is severe and is grade 2 or grade 3."
The Cardinals were already playing with two players on the active roster but who were unavailable -- Scott Spiezio, who is ill, and Jim Edmonds, who has a strained abdominal wall. At least one of those players will have to be placed on the DL on Sunday, perhaps two.
Among the options at Triple-A Memphis are outfielder Skip Schumaker, infielder-outfielder John Gall and first baseman-outfielder Chris Duncan. First baseman Brian Daubach has hit well for Memphis, but is not on the 40-man roster.
The 2005 season saw the Cardinals make do at various times without many of their key players. Scott Rolen, Larry Walker, Reggie Sanders and Yadier Molina all spent lengthy stretches on the disabled list. But never have the Cardinals had to reconfigure their offense to accommodate Pujols' absence.
"We win as a team, we lose as a team," said shortstop David Eckstein. "No matter who it is, it gives someone else the opportunity to step up."

[Cards4ever]

Looks like 6 weeks for Albert, but, 6 weeks is better than losing the season. Hopefully some of the other guys step up and the pitching continues to be a strong point(come on Mulder, what the hell is going on?).

I do know my cousin is going to be disappointed, we are going to Milwaukee next weekend to watch the Cards and the big reason he wanted to go was to watch Albert rake.

[Eaglesfan27]

Very disappointing. I was hoping he would keep up the torrid homer pace and at least approach 73.

[Cringer]

GO ASTROS!!!!

Sorry, but it helps my team some. I hope.

[JeeberD]

Not to be an ass, but I'm with Cringer. But with the way the Astros have been playing I doubt they'll be able to take advantage...

[Thomkal]

Yes not too good of a time for us Cardinal fans right now. Lost our best pitcher, then our best hitter. Thankfully it looks like Carpenter is ok and coming back this week. I just traded for him in my Rotisserie league before the injury and I have Pujols there too. I've been in or challenging for the lead all season there, guess that's over with.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

Yes not too good of a time for us Cardinal fans right now. Lost our best pitcher, then our best hitter. Thankfully it looks like Carpenter is ok and coming back this week. I just traded for him in my Rotisserie league before the injury and I have Pujols there too. I've been in or challenging for the lead all season there, guess that's over with.

This definitly hurts my chances in fantasy baseball.

I wonder what Walt's doing this morning?

[Cards4ever]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

This definitly hurts my chances in fantasy baseball.

I wonder what Walt's doing this morning?

I don't think making a knee jerk trade is the answer either, they are going to have to hang tough and stick this out. The pitching will have to carry the team for a while until Pujols comes back.

[MizzouRah]

Agreed somewhat, but regardless they need some hitting, with or without Pujols. I would love to see Abreu swap the crimson red for Cardinal red.

[Cards4ever]

Can't disagree with that, they need some hitting before the trade deadline. With the Yankees out there driving the price up for OF's however I hope the Cards don't have to overpay.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Cards4ever

Can't disagree with that, they need some hitting before the trade deadline. With the Yankees out there driving the price up for OF's however I hope the Cards don't have to overpay.

Considering all the money they are going to have at the end of the season, a bold move is fine with me... well, within reason of course.

Houston is only going to get better and I wouldn't count the Cubs out by any means.

[Cringer]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

Not to be an ass, but I'm with Cringer. But with the way the Astros have been playing I doubt they'll be able to take advantage...

After these last two games against the Reds..... oyyyyyyy

I think you may be right.

[dervack]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

This definitly hurts my chances in fantasy baseball.

I wonder what Walt's doing this morning?

Well, in a couple of weeks, you can have Nevin.

[WSUCougar]

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

Agreed somewhat, but regardless they need some hitting, with or without Pujols. I would love to see Abreu swap the crimson red for Cardinal red.

Keep your claws off Abreu.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Keep your claws off Abreu.

I believe he's going.. where who knows.

[Fonzie]

Well damn. Get well soon, Albert!

Emphasis on SOON.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Fonzie

Well damn. Get well soon, Albert!

Emphasis on SOON.

[rjolley]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

... I wouldn't count the Cubs out by any means.

As a White Sox fan who's also a Cubs fan (yes, you can be both), I find this statement rather humorous...

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by rjolley

As a White Sox fan who's also a Cubs fan (yes, you can be both), I find this statement rather humorous...

Well, maybe losing 2 out of 3 this weekend and the amount of injuries to the Cardinals pilling up, who knows?

[Toddzilla]

I'm really sorry that Albert Poo-holes got hurt, and that maybe a Cards fan can feel some empathy with what happened to Derrick Lee, but you have no fucking idea how we Cubs fans feel. You never have, you never will, and you are fortunate not to.

Enjoy the playoffs.

/wait till next year? what-the-fuck-ever.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Toddzilla

I'm really sorry that Albert Poo-holes got hurt, and that maybe a Cards fan can feel some empathy with what happened to Derrick Lee, but you have no fucking idea how we Cubs fans feel. You never have, you never will, and you are fortunate not to.

Enjoy the playoffs.

/wait till next year? what-the-fuck-ever.

True, true.

[WSUCougar]

We'll have to see, but...

ST. LOUIS -- Albert Pujols, who's eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list early next week, was optimistic Friday that he'd return from a strained side muscle much sooner than St. Louis officials had originally predicted.

The Cardinals slugger was on the field for drills at first base several hours before Friday night's game against the Rockies, contorting his body to get to balls bounced his way by third base coach Jose Oquendo. After the workout, last year's NL MVP said he felt surprisingly good.

"I'm pretty excited," Pujols said. And he said team medical personnel were "real excited, but I don't want to talk too quick until I get out there in the field and hopefully play for a week and I don't feel it at all."

Pujols was hoping to get clearance to take some batting practice on Saturday, the next step in the process.

"I still need to hit and I still need to do some things, and we'll see how I feel," Pujols said. "I can't wait until I start to get some hacks, and we'll go from there.

"I'm pretty sure I'll be OK. I've been working my butt off this last week," he said.

The encouraging development with Pujols came on a day when the Cardinals had to make do without another starter. Shortstop David Eckstein, the leadoff man, was scratched from the lineup with a minor concussion sustained breaking up a double play on Thursday.

"Something hit my head and it jarred me," Eckstein said. "I just haven't been able to shake the headache."

Pujols, who remains the major-league leader with 25 homers and 65 RBI, was hurt chasing a foul popup on June 3 and placed on the DL the following day. At that time the team estimated he would need four to six weeks to recover.

Pujols did not accompany the team on a six-game trip that ended on Thursday but has been running, lifting and doing cardio work daily for the last week.

Manager Tony La Russa remained cautious, and he was pessimistic about Pujols making a partial comeback as the DH when the Cardinals begin a stretch of six interleague games on Tuesday, starting with a three-game series at Chicago.

But he expects his star to be back before the All-Star break rather than afterward.

"You sit around and you stiffen up unless you ride the bike forever," La Russa said. "If he had a sore leg it would be different, but that's not what's sore. Based on how he's looking, I think he'll play before the break."

La Russa added that he didn't want Pujols back in the lineup until he was ready to finish the season with no repercussions.

"That should be our test: Don't play him until you expect that you're going to get him back for the rest of the season," La Russa said. "If there's any doubt about that, just keep resting him, don't push it."