Freel strains hamstring

[captainmorgan07]

Per Hal Freel strained his hamstring coming around first tonite and will be sent back to Cincy for an MRI. If he goes to the DL who could we bring up from Louisville? I hope that person doesn't have the intials CP. I think we all know who im talking about.

[HeatherC1212]

If CP comes back while Freel is on the DL (if he goes on it), then he needs to be the fourth outfielder and I hope someone higher than Dusty TELLS HIM TO USE HIM THAT WAY. I like the idea of CP being put into centerfield for defensive purposes late in a game but if I see him in a lineup anytime soon, I may go postal. :eek:

[bgwilly31]

freel made a great play in the outfield.

I however right now feel our lineup is better without him in it.

2 one run losses in two days! I'm bout to pull my hair out!!

[_Sir_Charles_]

Hmmm...I think everyone is starting to see the OF problems I was talking about the other day. Louisville is simply empty of OF talent. We do have some very promising OF'ers in 'nooga and 'sota, but I'm not sure if any of them are ready yet. I kinda doubt it. This is starting to look like our new GM's hands are about to be forced. Especially if Griffey's injury is more serious than originally thought. Jocketty may be forced into a bad trade very shortly. *shudders*

[757690]

This will be interesting. Clearly Dusty will want to bring up Patterson, but Jocketty seems to be on rookie youth run, which might lead to Dickerson being called.
If Dickerson gets called, it will be a sign that Jocketty is fully in charge.
However, with Patterson crushing the ball in AAA, Jocketty might agree with Dusty on this one, so it won't mean much if he is called up.

[_Sir_Charles_]

Yeah, I don't think there's much choice right now. Corey HAS to come up. As bad as he was playing with the Reds, that's about how bat Dickerson's been with the Bats.

[NarrowStairs]

Dickerson is not a good player. He has speed. That's it. He can't hit for average. He strikes out WAY too much.

However, he might still be a better option than Donald Patterson.

--- Dickerson was pulled EARLY in the Bats' game tonight.

[Kingspoint]

You know what you're going to get with Patterson.

I'd give Dickerson a shot. You don't "know" what you're going to get.

I've seen too many 100's of times, literally 100's of times that players outperformed for a short while the first year called up what they were projected to do.

The only way to find out is to give him a try.

Nobody can be as bad Offensively than Patterson.

[Kingspoint]

PHILADELPHIA -- Reds center fielder Ryan Freel is headed for the disabled list after he came out of Tuesday's game vs. the Phillies with a strained right hamstring.
Freel will be flown back to Cincinnati on Wednesday for an MRI exam.

In the top of the sixth, Freel was running out a two-out ground ball to shortstop when he collapsed to the ground a few steps out of the batter's box and grabbed the back of his right leg.

"He said he heard something pop," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "Usually, you're running first to third or something awkward. That was just bad luck right there."

Freel quickly sprang to his feet and hobbled on his own power back to the Reds dugout and into the clubhouse tunnel.

To replace Freel, the Reds moved Jerry Hairston Jr. from shortstop to center field. Rookie Paul Janish played shortstop and took over Freel's spot in the lineup.

Freel, who was 1-for-3 in the game with a stolen base, is batting .298 with 10 RBIs in 48 games this season. His playing time in center field had been heavily curtailed behind Corey Patterson, and since last week, Jay Bruce. Freel started Monday and Tuesday in center field while Bruce played right field for Ken Griffey Jr., who was resting because of a knee injury.

Patterson, who was optioned to Triple-A Louisville last week after struggling all season, could be a candidate to replace Freel on the 25-man roster. Chris Dickerson and Drew Anderson are other Louisville outfielders currently on the 40-man roster.

"We definitely have to bring somebody in," Baker said. "I have to talk with [general manager Walt Jocketty] about who would be the best fit to help us right now."

[Kingspoint]

What's really interesting is that since Corey Patterson arrived down in Louisville, a Monster has woken up in Chris Dickerson.

Since May 29th (6 games), Dickerson's started 4 of them (Patterson's started in 5 straight since May 30th). He's had 20 PA's, and is hitting .438/.526/.875/1.401OPS..., Bruce-like numbers. In that same time period, Patterson's been picked off, caught stealing, and had 23 PA's while hitting .409/.435/.500/.935OPS...closer to the numbers Dickerson had last season while at Louisville when the then 25-year-old Dickerson had an OBP of .361 and a SLG of .435 in over 410 PA's. His strength isn't power, but again, if he's only up in the Majors for a month, he can't be as bad as Patterson was during April and May. He's hot right now, so why not try? Hairston wasn't supposed to do this well, either.

[Orodle]

is Hopper still hurt?

[DeadRedinCT]

Because of Patterson's service time, he had to approve being optioned to Louisville. If the Reds re-call Patterson and then, at a later time, want to option him back to Louisville, will the Reds need to get his approval again? The answer to that question may provide the rationale for the Reds whomever they re-call from Louisville.

[tommycash]

Is there no right handed help out there? How long until Hopper is ready to come back? We need to address the issue of right handed players off the bench. Obviously Cabrera or Jerry Gil would be choices to play as right handers off the bench, but neither have been doing that well in the minors this year. I think this move might have to be made to fit our needs over the argument of who is doing the best in AAA to warrant a move up. I don't think Patterson or Dickerson is the right choice. Who do I think is the right choice? I don't know.

[bgwilly31]

dickerson sounds good to me.

[Kingspoint]

There really are some issues about talent being available.

When you see teams like Atlanta employing and starting players like Greg Norton, and the crap that Seattle and San Diego continue to throw out there on a regular basis, you've got to think that there just isn't enough talent out there to support 30 baseball teams. If things opened up to Japan some more there is enough talent over there that a couple of dozen players could come over and play and improve the game.

Baseball needs to go to a salary cap where the wealth could be shared. It works in the NBA and the NFL.