Back injury sends Polanco to DL
News blogs, sports blogs, entertainment blogs, and more from Philly.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News.
Back injury sends Polanco to DL
Bob Brookover, Inquirer Baseball Columnist
Third baseman Placido Polanco was placed on the disabled list Thursday with lower back inflammation. The team said his roster replacement will be announced before the start of the team's three-game series in Atlanta Friday.
Polanco had missed the Phillies' last three games because of the ailment. Manager Charlie Manuel said the injury is similar to a back injury that bothered the third baseman for much of last season.
The Phillies do not figure to miss Polanco's bat. Since his average topped out at .294 on June 4, he had hit just .184 with five extra-base hits -- all doubles -- in 32 games.
As we saw during Wednesday's extra-inning win over Milwaukee, the Phillies do miss Polanco's glove when he is not in the lineup. Ty Wigginton, playing in place of Polanco at third, committed two errors, including a dropped pop up that allowed the Brewers to score a go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning.
Because he is considered a solid defensive player, Michael Martinez is probably a candidate to be recalled. Mike Fontenot can also play third base.
Poll: With Hamels signed, what should the Phillies do next?
Buy Phillies tickets 
Placido "Iron Horse" Polanco on the DL? Say it aint so, Joe!!!— DelawareRiverRat- Polanco would be a good fit as the next hitting instructor. Patient and selective, good contact hitter, goes the other way when appropriate. I'd hire him over GG any day!— bentlip
- Im so done with this guy.— MrSmithTP
- @freecable --can't see that I loved Aramis, but the prospect of starting the season with Polanco starting at 3rd base and Howard on the d.l. and no offense out of the entire infield (or much from the outfield)...well, you see the consequences....— warbiscuit
- been saying this since 2009 when we signed "the best 2 hole hitter in the league". The biggest mistake RAJ has ever made as a GM was to sign him instead of Adrian Beltre. Yes Beltre wanted more, but look at his numbers, we would have still underpaid for him!— klaidi
- even when not injured and hitting his customary .278 Polanco has not been a legit starting major leaguer at 3rd base since he was acquired, with no power or speed and a low on-base pctge...complete waste of $18 million.. Phils got more out of Pedro Feliz— warbiscuit
- This comment has been deleted. — CornerPretzelGuy
- Yes, it is clearly idiocy considering Pedro Feliz has been out of baseball since early 2010 when he hit a staggering .208! I, for one, don't forget his total mental mistakes/fielding errors late in games or his weak pop-ups with RISP. Say what you will about Polly's lack of power, he remains a superior defensive player and fundamentally sound (albeit without power) with the bat. Feliz lacked focus late in games and was a certified rally killer.....Oh yeah, and again, out of baseball. The Cardinals had enough of him after 40 games in 2010! — Special Agent Fox Mulder
- Chase Headley strikes out a lot.......but his numbers would spike up with a switch to the Bank.— ATrucksess
- For you older timers liie me, maybe the Yankees would trade us Jim Ray Hart. He could butcher anything at 3rd base!!— Horst Muhlman lives on in all of us
- it's ashame. if he was healthy they coulda got a nice prospect in return for trading him.— Ryan
- Biggest melon in MLB— Sam Crow
- No loyalty, no memory, no brains.— 2smart4philly
- @warbiscuit: Agreed about your concern with the regular lineup heading into the season. Polanco is a gamer, but is always due for several trips to the DL throughout the year. Chase is playing well, but is day to day at this point in his career. Ryan Howard has recently returned, around the All-Star break. I'm still disappointed with the likes of Rollins, Victorino, and Mayberry. Their lack of production really hurt the Phils in the first half. Sure, it's a lot easier to produce with the presence of Utley and Howard in the lineup. But those three guys didn't play with any sense of urgency. There's certainly a difference now in Rollins and even Victorino. Maybe Shane has finally come to the conclusion that he is in a walk year with his contract. He has been sleepwalking until just before the trade deadline.— FreeCable4Ever
- woof. let's try kratz at 3rd and see if the magic keeps coming.— Zero
