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?
Buy Phillies tickets - By all accounts they tried moving him in the off-season and there was no interest. He was still under contract and the Phillies had no one ready to take his place which is why he played this year. The only way they get a legitimate 3B with any sort of future (not just a past) is to make a trade, either now or over the winter.
— s - Rube could have signed Aramis for the amounts wasted on Wiggingon, Kendrick, Nix, Thome, Qualls, etc, and using some of the excess salary wasted on Papelbon and Rollins (who could have been signed for less, or their alternatives for much less)...this isn't hindsight becuase I and others said so all winter, and indeed thought it was so obvious, even clueless rube couldn't miss that move— warbiscuit
- Hey dopey you like the Qualls signing remember IDIOT. Hey dopey Wiggington still has better #'s than Pena at 7 mil, great call idiot. Hey dopey you wanted to sign Derek Lee, how is his year going? If you were GM who would be the closer, ya dopey moronic idiot tool — DogBiscuitthedope
- @warbiscuit - haha I was gonna say, wow, Aramis is THAT BAD? I couldn't imagine anyone making Wiggy out to look even competent, much less a gold glove. But I gotcha now, and I agree with everything you said there.— morningstar
- Polanco should have been dealt or given away after 2010 season.— Gnip Gnop
- Polanco is irrelevant.— 4thand10
- Wiggington makes Richie Allen look like Brooks Robinson— JamesJ
- Never mind me asking earlier what was goin on with him— Km3737
- there's a reason why no other team wanted Wigginton (or Polanco for that matter)...as one g.m. is quoted, Wigginton's mediocre bat is not enough to overcome his awful glove (not my line)— warbiscuit
- Yeah you wanted Pena's bat at 7 mil a year LOL dopey tool — DogBiscuitthedope
- What was his contract you signed him on?— Km3737
- Agreed that Ty Wiggington shouldn't play another inning over at third base for the Phils. Regarding Aramis Ramirez, he has no range and no hustle. That's a bad combination. Maybe the Phils can get some immediate help at third base. Two critical series coming up at Atlanta and Washington. The Yankees have to be looking for help too, with A-Rod's injury.— FreeCable4Ever
- We have a solid one in Chavez to play third, but need a backup since Chavez has a history of getting injured. With polanco going on the DL They wouldn't make that move. — Km3737
- Okie dokie paint chip eaters, Polanco has a lifetime 300 average, great defensive player who's natural position is 2nd base, and was hurt all last year. Off season was 'supposed' to fix the problems and didn't, he got hurt again and thus goes his value. What I fail to understand, even from these few paintchip eating armchair GM's is that how the hell can anyone anticipate injuries, aka. Kemp, Tut, etc...And for the rest of you FWF's who wanted Reyes instead of Jroll, how is that working out for ya? I guess Rube isn't so dumb after all, but you FWF's would never admit it...— TexasYankee
- One of the problems with Polanco is compared to other .250 batters is with him you can't count on the ball going much further than the infield, but with other .250 batters there is always an HR chance. When he comes up to bat with 2 outs and men on base forget it. Yet for teams facing us in the same situation, a bomb is always possible, and frequently occurs.— Jeffy3
