Looks like 2-3 weeks. Larussa usually brings 'em back slower than that. BTW Rick, have you had a chance to read "3 Nights in Aug" yet? JUPITER, Fla. -- Considering the alternative, outfielder Larry Bigbie isn't too disappointed about his latest setback. Bigbie The competition for the St. Louis Cardinals' vacant left field job got a little less crowded on Friday with Bigbie expected to be sidelined two to three weeks with a stress fracture of his left foot. But if he had tried to keep playing, Bigbie said he could have been out four months. "They say if I was to go out and play through it, it's just a matter of time before it's a complete fracture," Bigbie said. "I guess if there is one positive about it, they caught it kind of early." Bigbie, 28, was acquired from the Colorado Rockies in the offseason to compete for the job opening created when Reggie Sanders took a free-agent deal with the Royals. It had been anticipated that the left-handed hitting Bigbie and So Taguchi could share the position. Now, at best, he won't be ready for the start of the season. "It's frustrating, but at the same time I'm not going to miss that much of the season," Bigbie said. "There's still time, it's not like it's going to end my career or anything. I just look at it as a little bump in the road and you have to deal with those things." Bigbie missed time with a strained Achilles tendon late last season and has been on the disabled list four times since 2003. Initially, the team thought he might have sustained the same injury, but it never responded to treatment or reduced playing time, leading to an MRI exam earlier this week that showed the break at the top of the heel near the Achilles. Bigbie is batting .231 with two doubles and two RBI in 26 at-bats this spring, but had only three at-bats in the last week. He said the injury developed slowly. "One morning I woke up and I had some discomfort in there," he said. "I played a couple of games and it started bothering me a little bit more, so I kind of brought it to their attention." The injury likely opens the door for John Rodriguez, who impressed in the second half of last season and made the postseason roster, to fill the job share with Taguchi at least for now. Rodriguez, like Bigbie a left-handed hitter, was batting .244 with five RBI in 41 spring at-bats. Bigbie plans on keeping his skills while he heals. He took batting practice Friday and won't have to wear an immobilization boot. "I just can't do any running, I can't do any banging around," Bigbie said. "I think it'll be an easy transition when it is time to play."
Haven't read it yet, AJ, but thanks for the reminder. I've been reading non-sports lately, like TC Boyle and Spider Robinson. Right now I'm reading the "Flashman" series by George MacDonald Fraser, but I don't plan on going straight through all of the volumes. I'll pick up "Three Nights In August". Rick