September 9, 200422 yr From the Chicago Sun-Times: Clement likely to miss next start September 9, 2004 BY MIKE KILEY STAFF REPORTER Advertisement Matt Clement had an X-ray on his neck and right shoulder where he has felt tightness in a trapezius muscle and also an MRI strictly on his shoulder in tests Wednesday at Northwestern Memorial. And while no damage was found, manager Dusty Baker doubted that he would send the right-hander out for what would have been his next scheduled start Sunday against Florida. ''They didn't find anything, which is good,'' Baker said. ''Nothing in the rotator. I don't know if they know exactly what it is.'' But after Clement pitched just 2-2/3 innings Tuesday before being taken out with the injury and 41/3 innings in his previous start before another early exit because of the same issue, Baker doesn't want to risk another game in which he must get into his bullpen so early. He used seven relievers after Clement left in a game Montreal won 7-6 in 12 innings. So will Clement remain on schedule? ''I would think not, because we certainly can't have what happened the last two games,'' Baker said. ''We have an off day [today]. If that happens next time, we don't have any more off days. Fortunately, we have Glendon Rusch and other guys who can take his place.'' So while the Cubs officially have listed Clement in their probable pitching matchups for this weekend against the Marlins, it appears Rusch will make that start instead against A.J. Burnett. ''We are going to treat him the next two days and see how he is on Friday and have him throw,'' trainer Dave Groeschner said of Clement's short-range program. SOSA'S RETURN: Baker said he asked Sammy Sosa three times before Wednesday's game if he was fine with starting after bursitis in his right hip had sidelined the right fielder in the first two games of the series. With the wind blowing strongly out to right, Sosa seemed to misjudge Maicer Izturis' fly ball leading off the third. The ball soared over the head of Sosa for a double as Sosa ran back too late to make the play. ''He said he's 100 percent,'' Baker said. ''I asked him, because I certainly don't want to take him out of a game and put somebody else in that slot.'' The Cubs were without Ben Grieve, who hurt his left shoulder making a catch Monday while running into the right-field wall. STILL FIGHTING: Todd Hollandsworth hasn't given up hope on battling his way back from his right leg injury. A member of the Florida Marlins team that upset the Cubs last year in the NLCS, he talked about how the Marlins club coming to Chicago this weekend is a different bunch. ''They made a lot of adjustments different places, and it's going to look like a different team,'' he said. Last year's World Series win left its mark on Hollandsworth and his teammates mentally. ''We felt like we shocked the world,'' he said. ''We felt we were heavyweight underdogs, 10-1, 20-1 coming in here [to Chicago] being down 3-1. We just believed and kept on fighting. The greatest attribute of that team last year was that we weren't afraid of anybody and didn't stop fighting them.'' BACK-TO-BACK: Baker said he hasn't decided on the order he will start Mark Prior and Kerry Wood in Friday's doubleheader against Florida. However, the Cubs public-relations staff indicated that Prior would pitch in the opener against Carl Pavano (16-5) and Wood would go against right-hander Logan Kensing, who is making his major-league debut. ---------------------- Go Fish ! Link
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