MILWAUKEE — The injury-riddled Chicago Cubs placed third baseman Aramis Ramirez on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with a dislocated left shoulder and said first baseman Derrek Lee will have tests done on Monday on his neck.
Manager Lou Piniella said Ramirez will spend one week in a sling and about three weeks rebuilding strength in the shoulder with non-baseball activities before a timetable can be set for his return. It’s likely to take several more weeks after that before Ramirez is ready.
“Right now it would be premature to guess,” Piniella said. “It’s very unfortunate for us, but what can you do?”
Ramirez isn’t expected to need surgery. Once the swelling goes down in the shoulder, the training staff will be able to better determine how much time the All-Star slugger will miss.
Ramirez, who was hitting .364 with four homers and 16 RBIs in 18 games this year, was hurt on a backhand dive in the third inning of Friday night’s 3-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. It took several minutes for Ramirez’s shoulder to be popped back into place and he was wearing a sling in the clubhouse after the game.
“We’re going to have to step it up, gut it out,” Piniella said. “The clubs that we play are not going to feel sorry for anybody, and rightfully so. We need a few of our guys to start hitting the ball a little better, especially with men on base, and go from there.”
Lee, hitting .209 with three homers and 15 RBIs, continues to struggle with neck spasms that have kept him out of the last three games and will limit him to pinch-hitting duties this weekend. Lee is expected to undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the injury, which he’s also had in the past.
“He’s just not 100 percent,” Piniella said.
The Cubs also are missing ace Carlos Zambrano with a hamstring injury. Zambrano threw for a few minutes on flat ground on Saturday and is expected to throw a bullpen session in the coming days.
Ramirez’s DL stint cleared the way for the Cubs to activate Ryan Freel from the injured list.
Chicago acquired Freel on Friday, sending reserve outfielder Joey Gathright to Baltimore for the disgruntled utilityman and cash. Freel said he was thankful for a new start after a miserable experience with the Orioles.
“I’m just overwhelmed with joy right now, I’m so happy,” he said. “I’m not disappointed with anything that happened to me, only because I landed in a good situation with a good opportunity. It’s a pleasure to be in this situation.”
Freel hit .133 in 15 at-bats in Baltimore, where he became upset with his limited role and told reporters that he didn’t fit in there. Freel said he had a feeling he would be traded in spring training.
“I just had this funny feeling. You could tell when I first came in,” he said. “They always say when they stop talking to you, that’s when you need to start worrying.”
Freel, who can play second, third and all three outfield positions, said he won’t be able to replace Ramirez, but hopes to give the Cubs another option and help wherever he’s needed.
“We just took a drastic blow with our third baseman. I don’t think you can come close to (replacing) a guy like that,” Freel said. “I’m not going to put up those numbers. They’re missing some big dogs who will probably have a huge impact on this team. When these guys get back, it will help (us) get back on track.”
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