Fresh Off 300th Win, Giants' Johnson May Sit Out Next Start
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Randy Johnson #51 of the San Francisco Giants.
The Big Unit came up big on Thursday, claiming his 300th career win and even taking a spill while making a play in the sixth inning (MLB.com). But the San Francisco Chronicle Reports that "spill" may have may have put Giants' ace Randy Johnson out of commission.
Johnson says he left Thursday's game in the sixth inning not because of his age (he's 45), but because his shoulder was sore after the sixth inning play. He was in a lengthy treatment session with team trainers on Friday and Giants' manager Bruce Bochy isn't saying whether Johnson will appear in his next scheduled start on Tuesday against the D-Backs. The team hopes to know more about Johnson's condition today.
If Johnson does not play, it could throw a wrench in the pitching rotation. Matt Cain was supposed to return to the hill on Monday, but he will most likely play Tuesday if Johnson is out. Cain won game two of Thursday's double-header against the Washington Nationals 4-1. That game was called in the sixth inning due to rain.
If Cain's start moves, that would mean the Giants could call up Billy Sadler, who is currently a starting pitcher with Triple-A Fresno. Sadler is 5-1 with a 4.37 ERA in his first 10 starts.
Posted Friday, Jul 17, 2009 - 12:47 PM PST
