Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal only recently returned to the team after spending time on the disabled list with a broken thumb. But Friday night, while attempting a throw to third base, Furcal injured something in his side and had to be removed from the game. Manager Don Mattingly said afterwards that he expected Furcal to end up on the DL, and sure enough, that's what has happened, as Furcal is dealing with an oblique strain.
Furcal on his left side: "Bad."
The oblique strain continues to claim new victims, and though we don't have a timeline specific for Furcal, we've seen enough comparable oblique strains in the recent past to figure that he'll probably be out for the better part of a month. He'll rest for some time to let it heal before gradually easing himself back into baseball activities.
The Dodgers have promoted infielder Ivan DeJesus Jr. to take Furcal's roster spot, and Jamey Carroll will shoulder the regular load at shortstop until Furcal's good to return. Given that Furcal's sitting on a season .519 OPS, this isn't necessarily the worst news in the world, but he's much better than his numbers, and he's still a loss.