JUPITER, Fla. — CARDINALS Punto to miss first month
JUPITER, Fla. - St. Louis Manager Tony La Russa wasn’t looking at execution as much as he wanted to judge attitude during the Cardinals’ first controlled scrimmage of the spring.
While the mock game didn’t feature any player expected to be in the opening day lineup, those vying to replace injured utility infielder Nick Punto were all on the field.
“It’s just a different kind of practice,” La Russa said. “If a guy kicks a couple of balls, it’s not the end of the world. If he hits two balls out of the park, it doesn’t mean a lot. It counts much more that you are into the game and are energized. And then you have a chance to show some talent.”
The Cardinals held the scrimmage after running through normal morning drills, with hitters taking their cuts off batting practice-speed pitches while fielders tried to record the normal threeout inning.
La Russa will use the next few weeks to try to decide on a replacement for Punto, who is expected to miss at least the first month of the season after undergoing surgery Thursday for a sports hernia.
Punto signed as a free agent in the offseason after spending the past seven seasons in Minnesota. He gave the Cardinals a reliable backup at second, third and shortstop, something La Russa might not be able to find from any one player already in camp.
Nine-year veteran Ramon Vasquez, who signed a minor league contract and last played in the majors with Pittsburgh in 2009, can cover all three positions, but his lifetime .254 average might hold him back.
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TIGERS Cabrera might play Monday
DUNEDIN, Fla. - Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera might play his first spring game Monday against the New York Yankees following his Feb. 16 arrest on acharge of drunk driving.
“He will not play [today],” Manager Jim Leyland said before the Tigers shut out the Toronto Blue Jays 4-0 in the team’s spring training opener Saturdaybehind starting left-hander Phil Coke.. “Monday’s more a possibility, but I’m not sure about Monday, either.”
Leyland said Cabrera had an “excellent” workout Saturday under first base coach Tom Brookens’ guidance at the Tigers’ spring camp in Lakeland, Fla., but “truth be told, I don’t want to get second-guessed [about playing Cabrera too soon].”
Leyland said he will meet with Cabrera, head trainer Kevin Rand and strength and conditioning coordinator Javair Gillett before making a final decision on when to put Cabrera in the lineup. Cabrera came in second in American League MVP voting last season after batting .328 with 38 home runs and a leagueleading 126 RBI.
He was arrested in Fort Pierce, Fla., about 110 miles from Lakeland. Police said they approached Cabrera’s car, broken down on the side of the road, and smelled alcohol on his breath, and that he took a gulp from a bottle of scotch in front of an officer.
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GIANTS-DODGERS Sandoval impresses
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - The new, lighter Pablo Sandoval, the refurbished Mark DeRosa and the same old Aubrey Huff were in the groove for the San Francisco Giants on Saturday.
The three had a combined 6 of 11 hits and 5 RBI as the World Series champion Giants spoiled the spring managerial debut of Don Mattingly with an 8-3 victory over the splitsquad Los Angeles Dodgers at Scottsdale Stadium.
Run-scoring singles by Huff and Sandoval and a two-run triple by Nate Schierholtz highlighted the third inning. A two-run home run by Sandoval, the Giants’ first of the spring, was the key in the fourth.
Sports, Pages 28 on 02/27/2011