News
Soriano has successful knee surgery
Fuld awaiting test results on his injured right wrist
By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
09/15/09 8:05 PM ET
CHICAGO -- Alfonso Soriano's knee surgery on Tuesday was successful, and the outfielder should be at full strength when the Cubs begin Spring Training in 2010. However, outfielder Sam Fuld is day-to-day after injuring his right wrist making a diving catch Monday night.Soriano underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, and the team reported that orthopedic specialist Stephen Gryzlo found acute inflammation and expected cartilage degeneration, and did a debridement.
Soriano is expected to join the Cubs in Milwaukee next week to begin his rehab. He will spend three weeks with the team, then work out another three weeks at the Cubs' academy in the Dominican Republic when he returns home for the offseason.
"According to the reports I had, [the surgery] was very successful and he should be ready to go full bore by next spring," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said.
Fuld showed up at Wrigley Field wearing a protective brace after he injured his wrist making a diving catch of Frank Catalanotto's fly ball to end the Brewers' fifth inning in the Cubs' 2-0 win Monday night.
Fuld underwent X-rays and an MRI and was examined by a hand specialist. Fuld thought the problem was only ligament damage and a bone bruise, but he wanted to wait for the test results.
"It was painful immediately," Fuld said. "It bothered me immediately after the game. ... I woke up this morning and it was pretty swollen and not a whole lot better, so we went and got it checked out today."
The injury does not signal the end of the season, he said.
"I could be ready to play in a couple days," Fuld said. "We'll just wait to see what happens. I'm not ready to give up on the season by any means."
Fuld has made daredevil plays part of his daily routine, crashing into the bullpen gate in Los Angeles last month, for example. He seems to survive. How did he hurt his wrist?
"When I reached to get the glove underneath the ball, it just kind of jammed the thumb into the ground and bent it backwards a little bit," he said.
Piniella said if Fuld is going to be sidelined for an extended period of time, the club will call up another outfielder. However, the only Minor League team still playing is Double-A Tennessee, which is in the Southern League playoffs. Two possibilities are Tyler Colvin, the Cubs' No. 1 pick in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, and James Adduci.
Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
