Rick Sutcliffe may have to miss his next start, depending on the result of an examination Monday to determine the nature of a callous on the index finger of his right hand.
”I first noticed it in the fifth inning of the (Aug. 2) start against Philadelphia,” said Sutcliffe. ”I had to change the grip on my slider Friday night (in a loss to the Mets) because it was hurting to throw it. It feels like there`s something under the skin.”
Reliever Dickie Noles probably will pitch a few innings for Double-A Pittsfield against Reading (Pa.) next week. Noles is on the disabled list recovering from a broken right wrist.
Rookie Rafael Palmeiro, who started at first base Saturday night, is making a smooth transition to the big leagues. He entered the game hitting .286.
”I don`t really see any big difference between Triple-A pitching and major-league pitching,” said Palmeiro. ”Pitchers in Triple-A have a good idea of what they`re doing. If they didn`t, they wouldn`t be there. A lot of the guys who are in Triple-A now have pitched in the majors before.”
Manager Gene Michael, a .229 lifetime hitter, said he tried using a corked bat as a player. ”I had `Old Corky` that was flat on one side. I used to keep the flat side away from the umpire. If I got a hit, I`d the throw the bat down by first base. I had to stop using that corked bat because the ball was carrying all the way to the outfield.”
Ryne Sandberg was given the ball he knocked out of the park for his 1,000th hit Friday night. It was his 13th homer of the year.
”I wasn`t even aware that I was closing in on 1,000 hits until (media relations director) Ned Colletti came up and told me three or four days ago,” said Sandberg. ”As long as I stay healthy and play every day, maybe I`ll reach some other numbers. To see what people like Pete Rose have done with all his hits is really amazing.”
Sandberg said he is hardly aware of the ankle injury that put him on the disabled list for a month. ”I don`t really think about it when I`m playing, but there are times when I think it slows me up a little. It`s just a little bulky because I have to tape it and wear the brace. It`s definitely improving, but there is still some hard swelling in there that probably won`t go away until next spring.”
Probables for the Philadelphia series: Monday, Jamie Moyer (3-1) vs. Kevin Gross (6-10); Tuesday, Les Lancaster (3-1) vs. Fred Toliver (0-0); Wednesday, Sutcliffe (15-5), if his finger is okay, vs. Shane Rawley (14-5).
Hall of Famer Billy Williams will be honored in ceremonies Thursday before the Cubs-Mets game at Wrigley Field. Gov. James Thompson has proclaimed Aug. 13 Billy Williams Day throughout the state of Illinois.
Broadcaster Dewayne Staats celebrated his 35th birthday Saturday.
