The Dodgers welcomed Rafael Furcal back from the disabled list on Sunday in Chicago, but the team may have lost more than they gained in injuries today as the Dodgers lost another game, 8-3 to the White Sox. Juan Uribe was placed on the DL before the game to make room for Furcal, so that's one starter down. Then, both Andre Ethier and Rod Barajas left Sunday's game early with injuries.
Ethier crashed into the right field wall on a drive by Juan Pierre in the bottom of the fourth inning. Ethier suffered contusions in his right elbow and lower right back as well as a sprained left big toe. He was removed one play later. The x-rays were negative, but the manager Don Mattingly suggested after the game he won't really know anything about the severity of the injury until he sees how Ethier feels tomorrow.
Barajas suffered a sprained right wrist in a play at the plate in the fourth inning, again involving Pierre. He was removed for a pinch hitter in the next inning. X-rays were negative on Barajas as well, and he is listed as day-to-day. The Dodgers' bench, weak as it is when everyone is healthy, is amazingly thin right now. If Barajas and Ethier have to miss any time, the bench could be as thin as two deep, depending on the health of Aaron Miles, who has missed the last four games with a sore ribcage.
Lost in the injuries and another loss was the continued improvement of Jerry Sands. The outfielder, one day after his first big league home run, collected his first four-hit game on Sunday. Sands was 4-for-4 with a double and a walk, and is now hitting .289/.407/.467 with five doubles and a home run in May. The Dodgers head to Houston for a three-game series against the Astros beginning Monday. Whether or not the Dodgers will be joined by any reinforcements from Triple A remains to be seen.
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