Derrek Lee jokes around with former teammate Mark Grudzielanek during Monday's game against Cleveland. (Matt York/AP)
MESA, Ariz. -- Derrek Lee was receiving treatment for a back injury incurred in a freak accident in the clubhouse before Wednesday's game against Texas in Surprise.
"He was eating before the game and the chair just collapsed on him," manager Lou Piniella said. "That's why we got him out of there after three innings."
Piniella said Lee was fine and would be back in the starting lineup Friday. Piniella's back is also ailing, and he decided to skip the two-hour trip to Tucson for the Cubs' game at Arizona. Alan Trammell will manage the team instead.
In other news, Aramis Ramirez was playing catch Thursday morning at HoHoKam Park and is tentatively scheduled to play at third base Friday. Piniella said his shoulder was better and "he feels confident that he can play."
Piniella also was pleased that Xavier Nady played the outfield Wednesday in a minor league game.
"I played five innings, and there might've been one fly ball the whole game," Nady said. "At least i got some exercise- hit, outfield, hit, outfield, hit... I think it's more getting a couple reads. It was fun just to be out there. Just keep plugging away at that.:
"He didn't get any balls hit his way, but just the preparation, getting set and running out, it's good for him," Piniella said. "It's part of the regimen of being an outfielder."
Nady got hit in the right wrist and had it X-rayed. He said it hurt for a while, but he was OK to hit again Thursday.
Piniella said he needs to play the outfield in a Cactus League game soon.
"We're not going to be using the DH much more," he said. "We've allowed the teams to use DHs when they wanted to, but from now on, we want our pitchers to hit and we want our pitchers to bunt. He's going to have to play the outfield, or go down to the minor league to get at-bats."
Nady didn't know when he'd be ina Cactus League game.
Piniella said he liked what he saw from reliever Jeff Gray, who pitched one scoreless inning in his debut Wednesday, after sitting the last five weeks with a groin injury. He still is unlikely to make the team.
"He's got a nice arm," Piniella said. "But if you're rushing to get him ready, you're looking at something (bad) that could really happen. But we'll see. We're going to sit down with (trainer Mark O'Neal) and Larry (Rothschild) and see. But I like what I see. But if you get him on a fast track, then you've got a little problem."
Piniella said they will get down to either 12 or 13 pitchers Friday, and 16 or 17 position players. He liked what he saw with Chad Tracy on Wednesday.
"I said I wanted to see him smack it, and he hit a couple balls well, in the right-center field gap and the left-center field gap," he said. "That last spot, it's not an easy decision. We've got a lot of things to consider. We're not set one way or another. Things will go on for a little bit. And (Micah) Hoffpauir is swinging the bat a little better here at the end of camp."
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@daniel: ummmm, the Cubs were on a "road" game at Texas' facility so blame the Rangers for not springing for good chairs. But even at big league stadiums the furniture in the visitors' clubhouse is complete junk.
Come on Cubs please spring for some nice chairs because only CHEAP chairs collapse.Typical Cubs ..........IT WILL NEVER END.
I think what is funny is that this is being called an "injury". Seems like he was fine but they took him out of the game and gave him some treatment as a precautionary measure. What's the big deal?
Didn't Kerry wood slip and fall coming out of the hot tub a couple of years ago?
The Ghost of Jose Cardinale!
Let the "Cubbie Occurances" Begin..... someone check the chairs in Surprise AZ so there are no more surprises....
They never had those chair problems when Yosh Kawano was running the clubhouse.
I think he should check with Milton Bradly to see if perhaps it was a conspiracy.
http://www.avasflowers.com/illinois/florist-joliet-il/
Chris "Kind of funny a professional athlete gets hurt while eating. How come baseball players are injured so easily?". Remember what Mr. Baseball said; "were not athletes, were baseball players".
With every door that closes, a window of opportunity is opened. I think that's how it goes. Gives Micah Haughpower a chance to play.
Basically the Cubs and White Sox need to come out of the gate hot. Win their first twenty games of the season and then they can play .500 ball the rest of the way and be in the playoffs. Simple but tough to do.
Kind of funny a professional athlete gets hurt while eating. How come baseball players are injured so easily?
Jo - It was Sammy Sosa who sneezed and threw out his back.
Was it Z or Wood that sneezed and injured himself a few years ago? But for sure it was Wood that was injured in the hot tub.
hahaha what did Lee gain some weight in the off-season? Typical cubs injury here. They get hurt hopping dugout fences, hopping before making a catch in left field, sneezing, running into 2nd basemen on the basepaths...anyone think of any more instances of freak cub injuries?
85% of the chairs in the world don't collapse! The other 15% that do are in the Cubs clubhouse! It's a playground for the chairbreakers!!
What is it with Cubs and chair problems?
Why doesn't this stuff ever happen to the Cardinals? Or any other MLB team, for that matter???
The excuse of this year. "If only D.Lee didn't get hurt on a chair!!" That one sounds as good as Sosa's sneeze knocked his back out. Year 1 yes, but same old Cubs!!
HERE WE GO AGAIN
GREAT....Just couple weeks away from opening day. I bet you he will have back issues for at least a while...