Advertisement

Dodgers consider playing Rafael Furcal at second when he returns from DL

Share

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.


Rafael Furcal, second baseman.

Sort of, kinda, could be.

Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly said the Dodgers are considering the possibility of playing Furcal some at second base when he comes off the disabled list.

Advertisement

That would keep rookie Dee Gordon in the lineup at shortstop, and push the Mighty Mite second base combo of Jamey Carroll (.300) and Aaron Miles (.307) to the bench. Unless, of course, Casey Blake by some chance is actually back by then and Juan Uribe has gone back to second and pushed the two out.

Yeah, it could get complicated, but Mattingly said he spoke to general manager Ned Colletti about the possibility of playing Furcal at second prior to Friday’s game against the Angels. Hey, it can’t hurt to at least have options.

‘If I have to do it to help the team, I’ll do it,’ Furcal said.

Mattingly had apparently not spoken to Furcal about the possibility before addressing the media Friday, something of a rookie manager hiccup.

Furcal met briefly with the media following Mattingly’s daily media session, and afterward Mattingly quickly sought him out.

Gordon has played only 15 games, batting .268 with eight runs and four stolen bases. But he’s brought an energy and speed to a team in dire need of it.

Furcal has been on the DL since June 4 with a strained left oblique. Furcal, 33, has been dogged by injuries and is in the last year of his contract and hitting .212. He is expected to begin a rehab assignment Monday or Tuesday.

In over 1,400 major-league games, Furcal has played second base 34 times.

Blake is not on the DL but is battling a pinched nerve in his neck. He has had a cortisone injection, and although he has pinch hit, he has started only twice in the past two weeks.

Advertisement

-- Steve Dilbeck

Advertisement