Back injury sends Polanco to DL
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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?
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Horst.....we may still be paying him!— Km3737- don't bring Martinez up !! anybody else please. he isn't even hitting monor league pitching.— Ssteve115
- Martinez is a decent player. He was out for half the season with a significant injury and then forced into action with almost zero rehab because of the injury to Galvis. Now that he's had some at bats in the minors (he's 11 for his last 35), he's probably ready to come up and play a role. Remember he stayed up and played well all season last year and is the reason they let Valdez go.— @cip23
- Wow, I hope you're being facetious. I don't recall a minor league caliber ballplayer getting as much of a chance as this Martinez character got last year . . . and he was awful. What games were you watching? What stats were you looking at? I have nothing against Mr. Martinez personally, but his performance was downright pathetic - and consistently so (the consistency is born out in the numbers). Gosh. — Truth B. Told
- I never said he was so good that he is our missing 3B for 2013. I just said that he filled a nice role last year while Polly was out includig being a qualty defensive 3B. He had to stay up the entire season last year because we picked him in the rule 5 draft. — @cip23
- Never mind Richie Allen; Piggly Wiggly makes Brooks Conrad look like Brooks Robinson!— dasher
- Does this mean that they absolutely NO ONE in minors. Who plays 3b for the Iron Pigs? They do have someone playing 3B for the Iron Pigs, don't they?— momzer1812
- @cip23 Right on ! Martinez must have something the team liked. I liked his hustle, and the fact he could play many positions. I'm sure the worshipers of the poster child are deflated. I honestly think Martinez will help this team. If I'm wrong, it won't bother me, I've been wrong before.
— phineas - Always have liked Poly, especially his defensive play, but I think Father Time is catching up with him. The tough game schedule takes its toll on players who play every day.— dogman5
- Is Pedro Feliz still around?— SteveS11
- Are warbiscuit and DogBiscuitthedope the same person, suffering from Dissociative identity disorder, characterized by great inner combativeness?— P2will
- Polly has been shot since coming here...... Wigginton is a butcher in the field. Not good going into a critical stretch.— Northcountry
- Anyway, since Rolen was traded almost ten years ago to the day, our third basemen have been Bell, Nunez, Dobbs, Helms, Feliz, and Polanco. If we ever had something other than a mediocrity at that position, I don't think I could handle it.— P2will
- While Headley is better he strikes out a lot. The Phils needed a bat before the season. If they went for a rental at short (2M) and used the money on someone like Aramis Rameriz (32M for 3 years) you would have had some power that could have won some of the games in April / May.
Nice to see the Phils get some confidence and win a few games but they were DOA before the all star break. Too big a hill to climb.
the Braves should close the door on them this weekend.
Might as well start positioning for next year.— Fan74 
Transactions: Polanco 15-day DL (old)
