Broken hand fells Phils' top prospect

Times wires
Saturday, March 5, 2011

CLEARWATER — Phillies rookie RF Domonic Brown broke his right hand during a 4-3 loss to the Pirates on Saturday, an injury that might require surgery and could open a spot in the outfield.

Brown, a former Pasco High standout and the Phillies' top prospect, began the day 0-for-15 this spring. He hurt himself when he swung at the first pitch of his first at-bat, stayed in the game and singled through the middle. He later came out.

GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said an X-ray showed the fracture. Brown will be re-evaluated Monday or Tuesday.

"If he has to have some type of surgery on it, it would be anywhere from three to six weeks of recovery time," Amaro said.

Ben Francisco, who could be in line to start in right if Brown is out for a while, hit his second home run in six games.

UTLEY SITS: 2B Chase Utley missed another game after getting a cortisone shot in his right knee. Utley, 32, who got the shot Friday, has not appeared in any of the eight spring games.

Jays: Prospect dazzles

DUNEDIN — Brett Lawrie tends to hit the ball the other way. On Saturday, the touted Blue Jays rookie impressed his manager by pulling one for a key hit.

The three-run shot triggered a six-run eighth inning against RHP Brayan Villarreal and sent Toronto to a 7-4 victory over the Tigers.

"One of the most exciting things today was that he turned on the ball like he did," Blue Jays manager John Farrell said. "His swing is a power stroke inside-out, but to show the ability to clear his front hip the way he did today, that was impressive."

Lawrie said turning on the ball "comes a lot with not thinking. When you tend to think up there, things get rather bad for you."

INJURY REPORT: LF Travis Snider had a single in two at-bats in his spring debut after missing seven games with an upper rib injury. … 2B Aaron Hill is likely to sit out at least three more games with tightness in his right quadriceps muscle.

Yanks: It's just spring

TAMPA — Must be something about that second spring outing.

What it is exactly, CC Sabathia hasn't a clue.

Nor is he, nor manager Joe Girardi, terribly concerned.

For the third straight season the left-hander got lit up in his second spring start. He retired seven of 15 batters in the Yankees' 10-8 loss to the Nationals.

"We'll re-evaluate after today," Girardi joked about whether his ace's rotation spot was in peril.

Sabathia allowed five runs and six hits in 22/3 innings.

"I was just kind of all over the place," he said. "Really couldn't find the strike zone, couldn't work off of anything. My changeup was real flat and cutting back over the plate. Just one of those days."

But Sabathia also has been around long enough to know these outings are very much a part of the spring.

"I'm not going to lose any sleep," he said.

Source: http://www.tampabay.com/sports/broken-hand-fells-phils-top-prospect/1155628

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