Already known to be battling plantar fasciaitis, Carlos Ruiz's bum wheel prognosis got worse on Saturday morning, as the Phillies announced the All-Star catcher has been placed on the DL with a partial tear in his foot. He is expected to miss 4-6 weeks, with an evaluation in 2 weeks. In related news, the next 4-6 weeks just slid down the bearability scale in a huge way.
With little left to play for in a disastrous 2012, shutting Chooch down is a no-brainer. Unfortunately, the DL stint thwarts one of the few things we had to look forward to on a nightly basis this season. Already long established as a fan favorite, Ruiz found ways to improve in 2012, flirting with batting title aspirations for a time and leading the way at the plate rather than just behind it. With the normal big guns on the DL to start the season, Chooch carried the team offensively as best he could.
Ruiz heads to the DL carrying a slash line of .335/.399/.559/.959, with career-highs at 14 homers and 58 RBI and two months left on the schedule.
Now, like the rest of us, Chooch has to watch helplessly as this show plays out.
The tandem of Brian Schneider and Erik Kratz are expected to shoulder the catching duties the rest of the way, and Hector Luna has been recalled to take Chooch's roster spot.
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