Aramis Ramirez Return to Cubs 'Close'
But Cub fans shouldn't expect miracles from All-Star
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Ramirez was on a hot streak when he went down with a shoulder injury.
Aramis Ramirez's absence from the Cubs has been rather noticeable. He was hitting .364 and was a reliable third baseman before going down with a dislocated shoulder in early May. The team has missed both his offensive and defensive abilities, so it was a great relief to hear that Ramirez has begun light batting practice. A date is not set for his return, but the Dominican slugger is said he is "close."
"It all depends on how I feel,'' said Ramirez, who only moved from swinging a fungo to swinging his own, heavier bat on Sunday. ''You don't want to try to push too much too fast and go back to where you started.''
But Cubs fans need to temper our expectations for Ramirez upon return. He has been through a pretty rough injury, especially for a power hitter with 253 home runs in his 11-year career. The best thing about his return won't necessarily be his prowess at the plate, but the relief it will provide the infield. With Ramirez back at third, Mike Fontenot can return to second base, with Aaron Miles, Andres Blanco and Jake Fox providing relief for the entire infield.
Ramirez has been a staple of the Cubs' lineup for seven years, so it's been odd to not see him in it. The good news is that he should be back where he belongs soon, but we just can't expect it to be the same man we've seen.
Maggie Hendricks is a lifelong Chicagoan who has fond memories of attending Bulls' championship rallies and taking Michael Jordan for granted. She also writes for Cagewriter, Yahoo! Sports' MMA blog, and Fourth-Place Medal, Yahoo! Sports' Olympic blog.
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Posted Tuesday, Jul 14, 2009 - 4:05 PM CST
