Baseball Guru
04-11-2002, 05:19 AM
By Associated Press
April 10, 2002, 8:16 PM EDT
CHICAGO -- Chicago Cubs outfielder Moises Alou, on the disabled list with a strained right calf for the third year in a row, will go to Class-A Daytona this weekend for a rehabilitation assignment.
Alou wants some more at-bats before Monday, the first day he's eligible to come off the disabled list. He took batting practice for a second day Wednesday, and ran without any trouble.
"They gave me a choice, and I felt like it was a good idea since I didn't get that many at-bats in spring training," said Alou, who was sidelined for most of the spring with a strained muscle in his left side. "It's a mutual decision. I think I can use 10 at-bats."
He'll go to Daytona for Friday and Saturday's games. He'll then rejoin the Cubs and hopes to play Monday, when they open a three-game series against the Montreal Expos.
Alou began his career in Montreal, and his father, Felipe, was the longtime manager there.
Though there's artificial turf in Olympic Stadium, he's not worried about it causing problems for his calf.
"I played in Montreal for six years, and I came off the disabled list a few times there," he said. "I'll be careful about it."
The Cubs will make sure of that. They're struggling without Alou, who, along with Sammy Sosa and Fred McGriff, is expected to give Chicago one of the NL's most potent 3-4-5 lineups. The Cubs are hitting .221, and four of their five losses have been by two or fewer runs.
Alou, a career 306 hitter, batted .331 with 27 homers and 108 RBIS for the Astros last season.
"I'm anxious to be in the lineup, no matter if we get 20 hits or get no hits," said Alou, who signed a $27 million, three-year contract with the Cubs in the offseason. "I came here to play."
April 10, 2002, 8:16 PM EDT
CHICAGO -- Chicago Cubs outfielder Moises Alou, on the disabled list with a strained right calf for the third year in a row, will go to Class-A Daytona this weekend for a rehabilitation assignment.
Alou wants some more at-bats before Monday, the first day he's eligible to come off the disabled list. He took batting practice for a second day Wednesday, and ran without any trouble.
"They gave me a choice, and I felt like it was a good idea since I didn't get that many at-bats in spring training," said Alou, who was sidelined for most of the spring with a strained muscle in his left side. "It's a mutual decision. I think I can use 10 at-bats."
He'll go to Daytona for Friday and Saturday's games. He'll then rejoin the Cubs and hopes to play Monday, when they open a three-game series against the Montreal Expos.
Alou began his career in Montreal, and his father, Felipe, was the longtime manager there.
Though there's artificial turf in Olympic Stadium, he's not worried about it causing problems for his calf.
"I played in Montreal for six years, and I came off the disabled list a few times there," he said. "I'll be careful about it."
The Cubs will make sure of that. They're struggling without Alou, who, along with Sammy Sosa and Fred McGriff, is expected to give Chicago one of the NL's most potent 3-4-5 lineups. The Cubs are hitting .221, and four of their five losses have been by two or fewer runs.
Alou, a career 306 hitter, batted .331 with 27 homers and 108 RBIS for the Astros last season.
"I'm anxious to be in the lineup, no matter if we get 20 hits or get no hits," said Alou, who signed a $27 million, three-year contract with the Cubs in the offseason. "I came here to play."