May 10, 200323 yr credit:mlb.com CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs placed Sammy Sosa on the 15-day disabled list Saturday after he had the toenail removed from his right big toe. Sosa, who was batting .303 with six home runs and 23 RBIs, has been bothered by his sore toe for the past month. The toe had not responded to treatment, and he had the nail removed at Northwestern Memorial Hospital on Saturday. "I've been bothered by the toe for the last month," Sosa said in a statement issued by the Cubs. "It just wasn't getting any better. I feel relieved that the nail is off, and it can finally heal. I can come back at 110 percent." It's only the fourth time Sosa has been placed on the disabled list in his career. The last was 1996 when he suffered a fractured right hand. "His (right) big toe has been bothering him," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said. "Something's wrong. He's been fighting through it." Because of the pain, Baker said Sosa hasn't been able to rotate well on his swing. "Sammy's a gladiator," Baker said. "For him to say 'enough,' it has to hurt." The Cubs called up right-handed pitcher Todd Wellemeyer from Triple-A Iowa to take Sosa's spot on the roster. Wellemeyer was 1-1 with a 2.77 ERA in three games for Iowa.
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