Second baseman Ryne Sandberg sat out just his fourth game of the season Tuesday with a bruised right thumb he jammed in his first at-bat against the Mets Monday night.
Dr. Michael Schafer, the Cubs` orthopedic surgeon, examined Sandberg Tuesday morning and said the injury was minor.
”Apparently, I just didn`t hold the bat right,” said Sandberg. ”It`s sore, but it`s OK.”
Sandberg, who said he never has had a similar injury, plans to be back in the lineup Wednesday. He missed two games in Atlanta at the end of April when he was spiked, and he sat out a game in San Francisco last month with a stiff lower back.
Sandberg has missed more than nine games only once in his 10 years in the majors.
Back to back: Shortstop Shawon Dunston`s back is sore again, but manager Jim Lefebvre said it is nothing serious. ”You always have these ups and down when you`re coming back from a back injury,” said Lefebvre, who used the latest pains in Dunston`s back to illustrate why he plans to keep another shortstop, Rey Sanchez, out of the lineup the rest of the season.
Knockout punch: Speaking of injuries, the senseless one that sidelined pitcher Mike Harkey was bigger than anybody thought at the time. Harkey tore up his knee doing a cartwheel in the outfield before a Sept. 6 game. At the time, Harkey was 4-0 and the Cubs two two games over .500. Since then, the Cubs are 2-7. ”There`s no question Harkey`s injury was demoralizing to the team. It was quite a knockout punch,” said Lefebvre.
Bonus bucks: Catcher Joe Girardi is aware there is a good chance the Cubs will leave him unprotected in the expansion draft, and he could be picked by either Florida or Colorado. A native of Peoria and a graduate of Northwestern, Girardi doesn`t want it to happen. But he`s keeping his sense of humor. ”If I`m picked in the first round, I`m going to demand Brien Taylor money,” he said. Taylor was the first-round draft pick in the amateur draft who got $1.55 million from the Yankees last year. Girardi, in his fourth season, is making $300,000 this year.