Contreras strains hamstring in loss

09/23/2006

CHICAGO -- Brandon McCarthy was stationed out in the White Sox bullpen when Jose Contreras went down with an injury in the top of the second inning on Friday night at U.S. Cellular Field.
By the time McCarthy spotted Contreras laying on the ground near first base, writhing in pain, only one or two thoughts went through his mind in regard to the apparent injury.
"I thought he got hit in the head or got shot," said a concerned McCarthy after the White Sox dropped an 11-6 decision to the Mariners. "I didn't see what happened, because I looked over and all of the sudden, he'd just collapsed.
"He looked like he was holding his head and I had no idea. Then, all of a sudden, it registered quickly that he'd gone down last game with a hamstring thing, so I figured that's probably what it was."
McCarthy's analysis was right on the money, as the injury suffered by Contreras against the Mariners was eerily similar to the one that knocked him to the ground during his last start in Oakland. When Contreras went down while covering first base in the bottom of the third last Sunday, the injury was considered a cramp, and he was able to last through six fairly effective innings.
On Friday, Contreras already had been touched up for five runs on six hits in the second when Kenji Johjima hit a grounder to Paul Konerko. The White Sox first baseman fielded the ball and flipped to Contreras covering, but on the way to the bag, Contreras grabbed at his right hamstring and fell to the ground.
The ball rolled free, allowing Ichiro Suzuki to score the sixth run, and sending Johjima to second. But the result of the play was completely inconsequential in comparison to Contreras' health.
"I was running hard and I felt a pop," said Contreras through a translator. "It was very painful, and that's why I went down."
"With the way he go down, I mean, those kind of cramps are weird cramps," added White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen of Contreras. "He went down pretty good and I thought it was something pretty bad. [White Sox athletic trainer Herm Schneider] loosened him up a little bit, and right now, but it's up to Hermie to find out if it's another cramp."
McCarthy replaced Contreras and allowed Richie Sexson's mammoth home run over three innings, striking out four. Contreras' next turn in the rotation comes up Wednesday during the series finale against Cleveland at Jacobs Field, in what would be the right-hander's final start of the season.
According to Guillen, Friday might serve as Contreras' last start of the 2006 season. If that decision holds up, Contreras will finish with a 13-9 record and 4.27 ERA overall, but a 4-9 record and 5.40 ERA since the All-Star break.
"It happened in Oakland and happened here in the second inning," Guillen said of the Contreras' cramps. "I don't know yet, but I don't expect him to start another game, because we aren't going to do that [if] something could get worse.
"We might start McCarthy. I don't know right now the day we are going to start [him], but I'm not going to take any chance for something to get worse."
Although he has started one game in 52 appearances this season, McCarthy threw 70 pitches on Friday and feels comfortable returning to his past days in the rotation for one spot start. McCarthy pointed out that with the Minor League callups, there are plenty of arms to back him up and there aren't many concerns in regard to changing a pitcher's overall routine in the last week of the season.
A far greater concern for McCarthy was Contreras' condition. Contreras moved gingerly through the clubhouse after the loss, in which he allowed five earned runs on seven hits over 1 2/3 innings. But he would not make a snap decision on his status for Wednesday.
The White Sox have $29 million invested in the talented Contreras over the next three years. Factor in the Twins' 5 1/2-game lead in the American League Wild Card, with nine to play, and Guillen certainly figures to error on the side of caution with his ace.
"I will pitch again if I feel I'm 100 percent," said Contreras, who plans to work with Schneider on Saturday, as well as throwing during Monday's bullpen session. "I had this problem somewhat before in Oakland and I worked through it. I felt 100 percent and that's why I was pitching today.
"Right now, it's very tight and it's painful," Contreras added.

Source: http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/