CLEVELAND -- Just when the Cleveland Indians thought they
were finally healthy -- they aren't.
Starting pitchers Jaret Wright and Charles Nagy were placed on
the 15-day disabled list Thursday, just hours before the Indians
got back manager Charlie Manuel.
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Manuel returns |
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CLEVELAND -- With a clean bill of health, Charlie
Manuel returned Thursday night as manager of the Cleveland Indians.
Manuel, 56, had been away for 13 games after undergoing surgery on
May 5 to reverse the colostomy he received in spring training.
He was released from the Cleveland Clinic a week later and
received final clearance from doctors following an exam this
morning.
Bench coach Grady Little served as interim manager and won eight
of 13 games. The Tribe was 13-11 under Manuel before the
surgery.
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And the news got worse for the Indians, who placed reliever
Ricardo Rincon on the 15-day disabled list before Thursday night's
game. The left-handed reliever has bone spurs and will require
surgery, and Manuel said Rincon could be out until August.
An MRI performed on Wright late Wednesday night revealed a
strained right shoulder.
"It's a problem. Think about it -- 40 percent of your rotation
gone in 30 minutes," Indians owner Larry Dolan said following a
luncheon speech Thursday. "But how long will they be gone? This is
a team of resilience. I think the depth is there to handle these
missteps."
The Indians' depth will be taxed even more by the loss of
Rincon, Cleveland's best set-up man this season.
"I'll guess while find out how good we are," said catcher
Sandy Alomar.
Nagy, off to a 2-4 start this season, has bone chips in his
right elbow. He had arthroscopic surgery Friday and is out indefinitely. Nagy hadn't missed a start since 1993, a streak of 192 starts.
The Indians also recalled right-hander Paul Rigdon, 24, from
Triple-A Buffalo of the International League and designated
right-hander Scott Sanders for assignment on Friday.
Rigdon had spent the entire season at Buffalo, posting a 3-1
record and 3.07 ERA in seven starts. Rigdon, who missed the
entire 1997 season after undergoing the "Tommy John" surgery,
was invited to the Indians' spring training camp and appeared in
two exhibition games.
Sanders started Thursday's game against Detroit but he did not
have an official appearance with the Indians as the contest was
rained out in the fourth inning with Cleveland trailing 5-0.
On Thursday, the Indians recalled right-hander Jim Brower to take
Wright's spot and brought up lefty Mark Watson from Triple-A
Buffalo.
Injuries have contributed to Cleveland's early-season struggles
this year. The Indians have already had All-Stars Bartolo Colon,
Sandy Alomar and Kenny Lofton on the DL, and they lost center
fielder Jacob Cruz to a season-ending knee injury.
In addition, Cleveland was without Manuel for 13 games
after the first-year manager underwent surgery to reattach his
colon on May 5.
"This is something we're going to have to play our way
through," said Manuel, who said he feels fine and looked better
following his second surgery since February.
Wright has pitched well this year, bouncing back from a dreadful
1999 season. He allowed just four hits in 7 2/3 innings of his last
start on May 11 against Kansas City, but left with tightness in his
right shoulder after throwing 100 pitches.
Wright, 3-2 with a 3.15 ERA in seven starts, was on the DL twice
last year with a strained muscle in his right shoulder. The Indians
have said the current problem is not related to last year's injury.
The Indians made Wright's move retroactive to May 12, and he is
scheduled to make his start on May 27 when the Indians are in
Chicago.
Manuel said Nagy's injury is much more serious.
Nagy has made 192 consecutive starts, but the consistent
right-hander is on the DL for just the second time in 10 seasons.
He had been feeling discomfort in his elbow in his last few
starts, but got the win on Tuesday night against Detroit despite
allowing five runs and eight hits -- three homers -- in five innings.
Manuel said he noticed a significant drop in Nagy's velocity in
some recent starts, but Nagy did alert the team to his elbow
problem until the past few days.
Nagy has won at least 15 games in each of the past five seasons,
and has pitched his turn in the starting rotation since starting
the season finale on Oct. 3, 1993.
Rincon also hid his elbow troubles from the Indians. But despite
having soreness in his arm, Rincon went 2-0 with a 0.96 ERA in 16
games.
Brower went 5-2 with a 3.94 in a team-high eight starts for the
Bisons. He pitched in nine games for the Indians last year as a
late-season callup. | |
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