Tuesday, May 12, 2009

UCLA tonight, injury updates

Just ran into Jonathan Jones on campus...his chin is sore but thankfully he is o.k. after getting plunked in the face while squaring to bunt Sunday.

He hit the ground hard and reiterated our fears in the booth that he thought he may have broken his jaw but fortunately it wasn't that serious.

He will not be making the trip to L.A.

Brennan Metzger is also recovering (after 3 hours in the E.R.) and has a deep bone bruise after getting hit square in the elbow the inning before. I said it on-air at the time but the sound of the ball hitting his elbow was an awful one.

If you had been in the stands and looked away for the pitch you may have assumed he popped up a foul ball somewhere. That was what the "pop" sounded like and I don't think the elbow is built for that.

Jordan Casas, who re-aggravated his ankle injury when his foot caught in the grass on Saturday as he caught a fly ball and tried to throw home, is doing better but remains out.

Even Brandon Young, the sophomore utilityman who would have been a viable outfield option, was sidelined after getting hit with a line drive during BP the day before.

All three of the normal starters (no word on Young) will miss at least tonight's game which presents an interesting outfield situation.

With all three out and Tre Dennis in the DH spot Sunday, first baseman Steve Tinoco went to left where he played last year. 

So that leaves the Dirtbags with three pure outfielders for tonight's game at Jackie Robinson in Dennis, Matt Avery and TJ Mittelstaedt. Tinoco would be the next man to roam the UCLA outfield.

Staff game tonight, LBSU sits just one game over .500 (24-23), the Dirtbags have never finished under the break-even line in the 20-year history of that moniker.

As you may remember they lost to the Bruins in L.A. 7-5 two weeks ago. Haven't received a decent answer as to why both games would be played on their field but that is the case.

18th-ranked Cal Poly will be at Blair this weekend for three.

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