Relief ace Lee Smith said his back has been bothering him lately. ”It`s killing me. I hope I won`t have to go back to the hospital again like I did in `84. It feels like a cramp in my lower back. It`s really sore. I`ve tried ultrasound, whirlpools and everything.”
Catcher Jody Davis was given the day off Thursday, and Jim Sundberg started behind the plate. ”It`s hot and he`s not playing that well,” manager Gene Michael said of his decision on Davis. ”Sundberg is a good catcher. If it was September and Jody was playing real well, I`d be playing him every day.”
Expos first baseman Andres Galarraga was sent back to Montreal Wednesday night to have his injured left elbow examined. He collided with Ryne Sandberg at first base Tuesday and suffered a sprained ligament in his elbow. The Expos are expected to put him on the 15-day disabled list and replace him on the roster with first baseman Jack Daugherty. With Galarraga out, Montreal loses a .326 hitter. ”He`s not hitting as well as he was earlier in the season, but we didn`t expect him to hit .350 or .360,” said manager Buck Rodgers.
Michael said he does not believe in kangaroo courts, which allow players to fine each other for mental gaffes on the field. ”It`s not the answer,” he said. ”I`ve seen teams that were losing have them and they would drop the kangaroo court. When teams win, that`s usually when kangaroo courts stay around.”
Reliever Dickie Noles continues to throw on the side and make progress. He is on the disabled list with a broken wrist.
Left-hander Frank DiPino had to leave Thursday`s game in the ninth inning after being struck on the left hand by Hubie Brooks` double-play grounder.
”It was a stupid thing to do,” said DiPino. ”Just instinctive. One of my fingers is bruised, but I`ll be okay.”
