Times wires
Friday, May 27, 2011
SAN FRANCISCO — Giants C Buster Posey said it's "highly likely" he will miss the rest of the season after injuring his left leg and ankle in a collision at home plate.
Posey is still committed to playing catcher whenever he returns, he said in a conference call with reporters Friday. He also asked that MLB and the players union look at ways to protect catchers at home plate.
Posey, 24, believes the Marlins' Scott Cousins could have slid to avoid a collision, but he also said it was a legal play. He said he holds no ill will against Cousins and doesn't want to "vilify" him.
The 2010 NL rookie of the year and former Florida State star broke a bone in his lower left leg and tore three ligaments in his ankle in the collision Wednesday.
Posey is looking for a specialist to perform surgery on his ankle. He said he's in almost constant pain but confident he will make a full recovery, even if it's unclear exactly how long that will take.
The cringe-inducing crash has reignited the decades-old debate over plays at the plate. Some in baseball are asking for MLB to crack down on violent hits. Others argue home-plate collisions are part of baseball.
Giants GM Brian Sabean called on league officials to review rules regarding home-plate collisions and suggested a simple change: "You have to slide into other bases. Why shouldn't you have to slide into home plate?"
Angels manager Mike Scioscia caught more games than any player in Dodgers history and endured numerous collisions. He believes there's an unwritten code of ethics among players, depending on how much of the plate the catcher gives and the situation in the game.
"It's just like breaking up a double play and what the guidelines are," Scioscia said. "Running into a catcher, the catcher's going to stay there and try to block the plate, which you have the right to if you're fielding the ball. And the runner obviously has a right to dislodge it."
A message left with a league spokesman seeking comment was not immediately returned.
Red Sox C Jason Varitek agrees collisions are within the rules, even if that puts him in harm's way. "Catching, you're usually not on the winning end of those. Period," he said. "Some things are part of the game."
Indians activate Sizemore: OF Grady Sizemore, who had been out with a bruised right kneecap from a hard slide, was activated from the 15-day disabled list. Sizemore was the DH against the Rays, something manager Manny Acta said will be the case throughout the three-game series. Sizemore was dropped from his normal leadoff spot to sixth. "He's got to get his timing down a little bit," Acta said.
Carter's tumor: Doctors performed biopsies on a tumor in Hall of Fame C Gary Carter's brain and said preliminary results show it "appears to be malignant." Carter, 57, revealed last week that he had four small tumors.
Mets: CF Angel Pagan returned to the lineup after missing more than a month with a strained muscle in his left side. … RHP R.A. Dickey, who injured his foot covering first Thursday, hopes to make his next start.
Nationals: After the team lost its fifth straight Wednesday, OF Jayson Werth told reporters: "Things need to change." Werth wasn't specific, but it could be inferred he was talking about manager Jim Riggleman. Riggleman said he has met with Werth and doesn't believe he was calling him out.
Reds: RHP Homer Bailey went on the DL with a shoulder injury. No timetable has been set for his return.
Rockies: INF/OF Eric Young Jr. was recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs. … The death of Robert Seamans, who fell about 20 feet while trying to slide on a railing at Coors Field, has been ruled accidental. The Denver Medical Examiner's Office ruled that Seamans, 27, died of blunt force trauma to his head.
Tigers-A's: Detroit traded 2B Scott Sizemore to Oakland for left-handed reliever David Purcey.