Lo Duca back, Kearns to rehab

By Brian Hunsicker

Published: June 25, 2008

A day after hospital treatments for dehydration, Washington Nationals catch Paul Lo Duca said he feels fine.
“It was a little scary, I’ll be honest with you,” Lo Duca said before Wednesday night’s game against the Angels.
Lo Duca started in Tuesday night’s 8-3 loss in left field, but came out of the game in the top of the second when Lo Duca started feeling lightheaded.
He described the stadium as spinning when he came out. When he entered the clubhouse, just sitting up was a problem, and that’s when he was taken to the hospital.
“After the first IV bag, I started feeling better,” Lo Duca said.
He added that he’d never experienced such a sensation in his life, even though he’s played in other hot and humid climates – Miami in 2004 and 2005, New York the past two seasons.
Nationals manager Manny Acta said Lo Duca would be available Wednesday night, but added that he still looked a little pale.
TAMING THE “E”
After setting a season high with four errors on Tuesday night, Acta said that missing some of the Nationals’ best defensive players – Ryan Zimmerman and Nick Johnson among them – contributed to the defensive struggles. Their loss leaves the Nats’ defense, as well as other areas, more vulnerable.
Those four errors left Washington tied with Atlanta for fourth in the National League.
Both teams have 52 miscues this season.
“They were not only the heart of our lineup, but they were also the so-called leaders by example that we have and also rock-solid defensive players,” Acta said. “It’s kind of a domino effect.
“You can’t substitute Zimmerman at third [and his] defense. If you put [Ronnie] Belliard there, he’s not Zimmerman, and then you can’t put Belliard at second base, and it just goes on and on and on.”
If the Nationals needed an example, there was one on the TV screens in the clubhouse.
Turkey, a semifinalist in the Euro 2008 soccer tournament, was missing nine players either because of injury or suspension. Though the Turks lost 3-2 to Germany on a 90th-minute goal, few of the Nationals players took in the game for more than a couple of minutes.
DOWN THE ROAD
The Nationals get a day off today before renewing the Beltway Series with Baltimore.
From now until the end of July, Washington has only three series – eight total games – against division opponents.
Kearns set to start rehab assignment
Washington Nationals outfielder Austin Kearns is expected to begin a rehab assignment with hopes of returning to the Nationals late next week.
Kearns went on the disabled list on May 22 and had surgery to clean out bone fragments in his right elbow. He’ll go to Class A Hagerstown tomorrow and later move to Triple-A Columbus while trying to get ready for Washington’s four-game series in Cincinnati that begins on July 3.
Kearns says his elbow is fine for throwing, and manager Manny Acta says the outfielder should be handling designated hitter chores at Hagerstown before moving on to Columbus.
Kearns struggled this season, batting .187 with three homers and 16 RBI in his first 42 games.
HILL VISITS MAYO CLINIC
Washington pitcher Shawn Hill headed to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Wednesday for another opinion on his troublesome right arm.
Acta didn’t know when doctors would see Hill, who gave up eight runs in three innings during Tuesday’s 8-3 loss to the Angels. A trip to the disabled list appears likely for Hill, who has battled arm problems the last few years.
Injuries have severely hampered the Nationals, who currently have seven players on the disabled list.
“We’re banged up, but we’re not making excuses,” Acta said.
“Things are going to happen. We’ve just got to keep working hard.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article.