Soriano Sidelined

By Benjy Lipsman in News on Apr 16, 2008 5:41PM

You know that weird little hop that Alfonso Soriano does every time he catches a ball? Well, the Cubs All Star outfielder injured his calf doing just that in the first inning of Tuesday night's game. Helped off the field by teammates, it looks like Soriano might be headed to the disabled list.

While the teams awaits results from the MRI, when asked how long it'll be before Soriano returns Cubs manager Lou Piniella conceded, "It'll probably be awhile."

Maybe he's just setting low expectations and the Cubs training staff expects a return sooner -- a move to the DL will solidify the "while" timeframe. If Soriano does land on the DL, expect Matt Murton to get called up from Triple A.

Chicagoist's wise uncle noted recently that whenever the Cubs have a good season and look poised to build upon it the next year, injuries knock the wind from the sails and the team falls under .500. Is this latest injury proof that some curses are just too strong to break? Will the Cubs continue to drop like flies (or fly balls) and cause the team to cross the century mark without a title to show for their efforts?

AP Photo/Paul Beaty