This May Be It for Rich Aurilia

Fan favorite might not make it to end of season

Giants' utility infielder Rich Aurilia has been with the team longer than anybody else on the roster. But these days, his fate is dangling like he was stuck on the roller coaster at Great America.

Some one on the roster has to go, because Nate Schierholtz returns to the 25-man roster Tuesday for the Giants' home game against the Dodgers. Henry Schulman speculates in the San Francisco Chronicle that this will some one will be Rich Aurilia.

"Rich Aurilia was having a conversation by his locker with bench coach Ron Wotus. It ended with the two men hugging," Schulman says, of the scene in the Giants' locker room Monday night. "That often means a players has been told to pack up his locker."

Actually, according to Wikipedia he's already been cut. Wait, does Wikipedia have better sources in the Giants' clubhouse than me?

The Giants' Web site still lists Aurilia on the roster, and the team has not announced any sort of roster cuts or releases.

But somebody has to go. Aurilia has been carouselling around this season between San Jose, the Giants' active roster, and the Disabled List. His current stint on the Giants' active roster started only this past Friday, when he was recalled from the DL to give Juan Uribe more time to nurse his sore hamstring.

And his results have been less-than outstanding, as he's been hitting below .225 his entire time in the Majors this season. Monday night he grounded into a double-play in his only at-bat, and then Bruce Bochy got ejected arguing the call.

Unfortunately, Rich Aurilia may be the next guy getting tossed out.

Joe Kukura is a freelance writer whose Wikipedia page says NBC Bay Area fired him months ago for streaking at the company picnic.

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