Unavailable Games are Getting UG-LY
Although there was a slight incident preceding Cub right fielder, Milton Bradley's calf MRI, it apparently showed he has a mild calf muscle strain.
The patient in the MRI tube before Cubs right fielder Milton Bradley's appointment Wednesday broke the machine in a claustrophobic fit, forcing Bradley's test into the late afternoon.
Fortunately it wasn't Mr. Bradley that had the claustrobic meltdown. It would be interesting if it was one of the mlb umpires that are targeting him for his history of histrionics.
I believe getting an MRI on any ol' ouchie is a sad reflection on medicine these days, as it doesn't take a grizzled (Grizlo-ed?) veteran orthopedic surgeon to make that diagnosis accurately without an MRI.
The Cubs got the report on Bradley's strained calf just before game time, learning that the MRI showed a strain not severe enough to necessarily require a disabled-list move but not mild enough to assure he'll only need two or three days to recover.
I'm getting tired of Cub players being unavailable for 3-7 day stretches rather than just getting a 14 day DL stint which at least doesn't hamstring (pun intended) the 25 man roster. Maybe the Cubs can petition the league to make the DL only 7 games because they'd be the #1 utilizers of such a change. Bradley has avoided the DL this season (so far) but he's had three such minor injuries including a quad strain, groin strain and now calf strain. Outside of Bradley, the Cubs collectively have had a "rash" (we can treat that with ointment) of low level injuries including DLee's neck, Geo Soto's shoulder not to mention a plethora of flu outtages.
Henceforth, I propose a NEW STAT that measures this. Call it: UNAVAILABLE GAMES (UG)...that way this clogging up the roster can be more precisely monitored. In the real world they'd call it sick days and if you use up your sick days you take the time off without pay.
Now all we need is someone to keep tabulating this stat. Any volunteers?
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