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Baker still in shock over Reds’ injury list

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By Hal McCoy, Staff Writer 2:10 AM Tuesday, August 25, 2009

MILWAUKEE — It is at the point where Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker sifts through the pile of medical reports on his desk and laughs — laughs out loud and shakes his head and mumbles almost incoherently.

“Every day, it seems,” he said. “Every day we lose somebody else. Never seen anything like it in my baseball life. We get a player back, like Scott Rolen, then we lose three more like Aaron Harang, Chris Dickerson and Ryan Hanigan.”

Rolen returned to third base Sunday, Aug. 23, but Saturday night, pitcher Harang underwent an emergency appendectomy and is gone for the season.

During Sunday’s 4-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, outfielder Chris Dickerson slid right onto the disabled list, rolling over his left ankle on a slide into first base.

Hanigan, the Reds’ starting catcher of late, was popped by a foul ball flush off his mask, left the game and went on the DL with a concussion.

With five weeks left in this dismal season, the Reds have had seven players undergo surgeries and 11 players currently are on the disabled list. The Reds have used the DL for 19 players in all.

“People keep wondering about our training methods,” Baker said. “We’ve only had one leg injury (Willy Taveras). What does training have to do with concussions (Rolen, Hanigan) and broken wrists (Jay Bruce) and neck discs (Mike Lincoln) and knees needing cleaned up (Ramon Hernandez) and torn labrums (Wilkin Castillo, Danny Richar)?

“If we were having a bunch of torn ligaments and torn hamstrings, then maybe you could question things,” he said. “But you can’t. It’s just bad luck. And we’ve had a lot of it this year, both medically and in breaks on the field.”

The Reds open a three-game series against the Brewers tonight in Miller Park and most likely Baker will come up with his 102nd different batting order and lineup in the first 124 games.

He will have two new players at his disposal, with catcher Corky Miller and outfielder Darnell McDonald on their way from Louisville.

Hurting Reds

Seven players have undergone surgical procedures this season:

Aaron Harang (above, appendectomy), Ramon Hernandez (left knee), Alex Gonzalez (right elbow), Mike Lincoln (neck disc replacement), Wilkin Castillo (torn labrum), Danny Richar (torn labrum), Edinson Volquez (elbow ligament replacement)

Eleven currently are on the disabled list:

Aaron Harang, Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto, Mike Lincoln, Danny Richar, Wilkin Castillo, Ramon Hernandez, Chris Dickerson, Jay Bruce, Ryan Hanigan, Willy Taveras

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This team needs a good chiropractor to solve things like the disc injury and work on stability to decrease all of these injuries.

Clak Atak
6:29 PM, 8/26/2009

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Yeah, JD that's right...the 10th "unlucky" year in a row! And looking for an excuse to whine? Where the hell have you been on this blog all year to hear the daily discussions about this team? If you're gonna show up this late and start flapping your gums, do us a favor and DON'T. Just shut up and read what knowledgeable people have to say. maybe you can add something once you've paid attention and learned something. Gawd yer daft!

BrarHopper
4:08 PM, 8/25/2009

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I agree with most of the above comments. There have been many injuries; maybe more than other teams. The other teams have preserved and continued to win, but they didn't have Dusty filling out their lineups with worthless leadoff batters for two yrs. or platooning players, even in a losing season that should be auditioning for next yr., 3 batters and 3 pitchers on DL g under .200 and .500 respectfully aren't a big loss, but the poorest fundamentals in baseball inexcusable. Please fire him.

bob
2:40 PM, 8/25/2009

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The players in the old days played much harder than these prima donnas. They didn't sit out with a hang nail. Baker should be shocked he still has a job.

pete
2:31 PM, 8/25/2009

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This team will end the season with around 500 player games lost due to injuries. No one survives that staggering number. No . . . body.

Mr Redlegs (Original)
2:07 PM, 8/25/2009

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