A bad night for the Cubs all around. Not only did they lose the game after making a comeback, but they also lost utility infielder Jose Vizcaino for the rest of the year and may have lost starting pitcher Mike Harkey for a while.
Vizcaino tore the muscles on the top of his left hand trying to check a swing pinch-hitting in the four-run Cub rally in the seventh.
”He`s gone for the year,” said manager Jim Lefebvre. ”There`s two ways to go right now-either a cast or surgery. But either way, we`ve lost him.”
Harkey was scheduled to go against the Padres Tuesday night but was scratched from the lineup when he aggravated a groin injury during warmups.
”Those groin injuries are tough, especially when they`re on a pitcher`s drive leg,” said Lefebvre. ”We don`t know how long we`re going to lose him.”
Comeback trail: Right-hander Shawn Boskie was impressive in his first rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Iowa Tuesday night. Boskie, on the disabled list since July 27 with tenderness in the muscle that runs under his collarbone, gave up two hits in five innings. He walked one, struck out three and threw 58 pitches. Pitching coach Billy Connors said Boskie will pitch at least once more in the minors before being reactivated.
Hot Hawk: Andre Dawson is back in form. Dawson went in a miserable slump after the All-Star break, but is hitting .400 in his last 10 games. He also had his eighth outfield assist Tuesday night, throwing out Tony Fernandez trying to stretch a double into a triple in the third inning. All of that has only reaffirmed the desire of General Manager Larry Himes to keep Dawson at the end of this season.
Looking for five: For the fourth consecutive week, a member of the Huntington Cubs has been named pitcher of the week in the Appalachian Rookie League. This time the honor went to right-hander Jay Hassel for the week of Aug. 16-22. Previous winners were Jose Pacheco, Daryl Gavlick and Amaury Telemaco.
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