Canton
Indians Notebook: Westbrook is on DL
Strain sidelines pitcher for 2-to-4 weeks
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
BY
Andy Call
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER
KANSAS CITY, MO. The Indians, struggling to stay out of last place in the Central Division, took another broadside hit Tuesday.
Veteran right-hander Jake Westbrook was placed on the disabled list with a strained left intercostal and is expected to miss 2-to-4 weeks. Westbrook, 30, was injured while throwing a pitch to Mike Lamb during the seventh inning of his most recent start Saturday in Minnesota. Westbrook had an MRI examination Monday in Cleveland.
"Jake tried to throw down-and-in to Lamb," head trainer Lonnie Soloff said. "He gave it a little extra and felt a tug."
The intercostal muscles run between the ribs and help make up the chest wall. An MRI examination revealed the injury was between his 11th and 12th ribs. Westbrook was on the DL for more than a month last season with a strained left oblique, higher up in the ribcage.
"We're cautiously optimistic this will be a shorter time frame," Soloff said.
The Indians called up outfielder Ben Francisco from Triple-A Buffalo to replace Westbrook, at least temporarily.
Cont...