BOSTON -- The Detroit Tigers paid a steep price for
their latest victory.
Reliable second baseman Placido Polanco was placed on the
disabled list on Wednesday, one day after he suffered a
separated left shoulder in a 3-2 triumph over the Boston Red
Sox.
The veteran infielder was injured after making an
over-the-shoulder catch in shallow right-center field in the
seventh inning. The play helped preserve a 2-1 lead for the
Tigers with the potential tying run at second base. Polanco
made the catch in full stride, but lost his balance and landed
on his left shoulder.
"I felt it [pop out]," Polanco said after Tuesday night's game.
Polanco went for X-rays on his
injured shoulder Wednesday and was waiting for the results
before his team played the Red Sox.
Batting mostly second in the lineup and sometimes in the leadoff
spot, Polanco is hitting .294 with three homers and 44 RBI this
season.
"You don't replace a guy like Polanco," Tigers manager Jim
Leyland said. "We'll have no excuses. We'll go out and play
our [tails] off and we'll see if we're good enough."
In his ninth major league season -- second with the Tigers --
Polanco owns a career average of .300 with 62 homers and 374
RBI. The 30-year-old Dominican also has played for the St.
Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies.
Omar Infante, who had been serving as a utility infielder, will
receive the bulk of the playing time at second base in Polanco's
absence. Infante was Detroit's starting second baseman last
season before the Tigers acquired Polanco from Philadelphia for
reliever Ugueth Urbina in June.
In Tuesday's game, Leyland used catcher Ivan Rodriguez at second
base since Infante started at third base and had already been
replaced by Brandon Inge. It was Rodriguez's first appearance
at second base in his 1,983rd major league game. Rodriguez also
used Polanco's glove, which has the Dominican flag sewn on it.
Infielder Ramon Santiago was recalled from Triple-A Toledo of
the International League on Wednesday to replace Polanco on the
roster.
The Tigers (78-41) own the best record in baseball and a 6½
game lead over the Chicago White Sox in the American League
Central Division.
Information from SportsTicker and the Associated Press was used in this report.