Guzman’s thumb earns him rest

By Joe Conroy

Published: August 15, 2008

WASHINGTON — With his sore left thumb continuing to nag Cristian Guzman, Nationals manager Manny Acta said the shortstop will be held out of the lineup for “a couple more days” to help the aching digit heal.

“It’s just still bothering him and he just came to a point where he felt he couldn’t continue to go like that,” Acta said before Friday night’s series opener against Colorado. “We’re probably going to just try to stay away from him, if possible, just to let that thumb calm down completely.”

Guzman, 30, is 5 for 29 this month and has been bothered by the thumb since the first week of July against the Reds.

“I think it’ll probably end up being that way,” Acta said when asked if the injury was something the club would have to monitor for the rest of the year. “But we’ll see where he is after a few days off. I’m not anticipating that a couple days off is going to completely take care of it.”

Acta said Guzman’s hitting is affected the most by the injury, impeding his ability to grip the bat.

Guzman is still among the National League leaders in hits with 136 entering last night’s contest. He is tied for 11th in the N.L. and is batting .294 for the year, highest among Nationals regulars.

HOPES OF SIGNING DRAFT PICK SHRINKING

Washington’s first-round draft pick Aaron Crow had yet to sign a contract with the Nationals by the start of the game last night and the idea that he would by the 11:59 p.m. deadline was beginning to look less and less likely.

Crow did sign with the Fort Worth Cats of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball earlier this week. Should the Nationals and Crow, along with agents Alan and Randy Hendricks, not come to an agreement by the deadline, Crow would report to the Cats rather than return to the University of Missouri.

“I trust these guys and they’ve done a tremendous job this year drafting and signing these guys,” Acta said. Entering Friday, the Nationals had inked 26 players they selected in the draft.

“You get to a point where you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do and whatever decision they make, I’ll stand behind it,” the manager said.

Crow was picked ninth overall after tying for the Division I lead with 13 wins in 2008.

“You want to sign the guy that you draft, but I understand it’s a negotiation on both sides,” Acta added. “I would like to have the guy (in the organization) but that’s out of my hands.”

“There a lot of things we can be criticized for, but I don’t think drafting and signing our guys is one of those things,” team president Stan Kasten said. “If anything we have a record of doing well in our drafting and our signing decisions we made, both in the guys to sign and not to sign.”

BELLIARD STARTS AGAINST LEFTY AGAIN

Facing a left-handed starter for the second straight night, Acta opted to go with right-handed hitting Ronnie Belliard over lefty Pete Orr at shortstop to replace Guzman.

After getting the start against the Mets’ Oliver Perez Thursday, Belliard opened the game at short versus Rockies southpaw Jorge De La Rosa last night.

“This gives us an opportunity to get two right-handed bats in there, make it a little tougher on them,” Acta said.

Belliard is hitting .311 and has seven home runs and six doubles in 74 at-bats against left-handers. Orr, meanwhile, has only faced lefties four times, striking out twice and hitting a triple.

ROCKIES FARMHAND INJURED AT OLYMPICS

Cringing could be seen and yelps heard throughout the visiting clubhouse before the game as Rockies players watched as Jayson Nix, a member of the Colorado Triple-A affiliate Colorado Springs, was hit in the face by a foul ball in a replay of the U.S. team’s contest in the Olympics.

Nix, who was the Rockies’ 2008 Opening Day second baseman, suffered a laceration to the left upper eyebrow when he attempted a bunt in the 11th inning against Cuba in a 5-4 loss.

“His injury was evaluated with a CAT scan and detailed eye exam,” said Dr. William Kupervich, Chief Medical Officer for the U.S. Olympic Team. “The laceration was repaired and he was treated with eye drops and rest. He will not return to play during the Games.”

Gar-Field graduate and current member of the Rockies, Jeff Baker, suffered a similar injury last season when he was hit by a pitch thrown by Chicago Cubs pitcher Jason Marquis.

“I was lucky because it clipped the edge of my helmet before I got hit,” Baker said. “It’s one of those things and you never want to see it happen to anybody.

“The good thing is he didn’t fracture the orbital bone, he doesn’t have to worry about the optical nerves or his sight. You don’t really know what to expect until it happens. Obviously we’re thinking about him and hope he gets well soon.”