Cubs exercise caution with Bradley's latest injury
As he thawed out while meeting the media in the bowels of Wrigley Field following a victorious home opener, Cubs manager Lou Piniella uttered the words that shouldn't have come as a shock to any Cubs fan concerning outfielder Milton Bradley.
"I talked to our team doctor and he told me (he's out) three to five days."
The Cubs' right fielder tweaked his groin Sunday in Milwaukee during batting practice, and took himself out of the game as a precaution in the fourth inning of an 8-5 win.
Bradley's penchant for spending time out of the lineup - he has played more than 101 games only twice in his career - was a risk general manager Jim Hendry was acutely aware of, and willing to take when he signed the outfielder to a 3-year, $30 million deal during the offseason.
"He's going to miss some games, we knew that," Hendry told WGN radio following Monday's home opener, which was played in the chill and mist at the Friendly Confines. "He's a very strong guy, very tightly muscular from the lower half down. He's going to have some pulls and strains ... we're hoping to minimize the damage and get him back out there as soon as we can."
In addition to Bradley (1-for-17 thus far), third baseman Aramis Ramirez (back) and catcher Geovany Soto (shoulder) also sat out the home opener, forcing Piniella to go with a 6-foot and under lineup that featured Mike Fontenot at third, Aaron Miles at second, Reed Johnson in center and Kosuke Fukudome in right field.
First baseman Derrek Lee dropped to the cleanup spot in the batting order and Fukudome took Lee's usual spot and did "fine in the three hole," according to his manager after going 1-for-2 with an RBI.
"We used a smaller ball type of lineup," Piniella said of the reconfigured lineup that drew 9 walks but left 13 runners on base. "We worked the count pretty well, we put the ball in play, bunted a few times - it was a good ball game all around.
"I don't know exactly what we'll do with our lineup, it depends on who's in there. There are different combinations we can use."
Hendry is hopeful all the main cogs will soon be back and healthy, including Bradley, as the weather breaks and rival St. Louis heads to town Thursday.
"I don't think it will be more than three to five days," Hendry said of Bradley, who celebrates his 31st birthday on Wednesday. "We'll obviously be careful with it, but if he comes in and shows some improvement Wednesday, I think you could see him by Thursday or Friday at the latest.
"We'll be careful with him, but it's just one of those things that happens. I'm glad he took himself out when he did so he didn't do any more damage to it."
What a difference: Monday's starters, Ted Lilly and Colorado's Ubaldo Jiminez, each threw 104 pitches. Lilly hit the mark with two outs in the seventh while Jiminez took only 3 2/3 innings to get there.