Soriano's Bum Legs Becoming Big Problem

The situation with Alfonso Soriano's injury prone legs is becoming a serious problem. Tuesday night Soriano managed to suffer another leg injury while doing his bizzare routine of hopping while catching a pop fly. After landing his hop he strained his lower right calf muscle. The early buzz surrounding the injury is not encouraging. An anouncement on the injury is supposed to be coming sometime today but from the way Lou Pinella sounded, the prognosis doesn't look good. It could be something as simple as a strain which would keep Fonzy out for about 2 weeks. If there is a tear in the muscle it is likely 6+ weeks. When commenting on the length of time that Soriano would miss Pinella said, "It will probably be a while". Soriano has explained his unique hop in the past. He says as a former infielder he's used to moving his feet while making a play on the ball. His hop is another way of keeping his feet moving while catching pop flys. In any event it seems that the 32 year old Soriano has not been taking care of his legs like he should be. This is the third different leg injury in the last year for him after having quad and hamstring problems last year. Eric Patterson, the younger brother of Corey, has been called up to fill the void left by Soriano's injury. Patterson is a 2B by trade but may see a little time in the outfield as well. Patterson is probably only an option in NL only leagues at this point in his young career. If anything it will most likely free up more playing time for Felix Pie and Reed Johnson. It's unsure what will happen with the leadoff spot in the Cubs' order but the most likely replacement is Ryan Theriot. However, don't be surprised if Pinella goes with the so far sensational Kosuke Fukudome who is hitting .333 with an OBP of .448.

Soriano's bum legs are becoming a big problem for fantasy owners as well. If you own Soriano, you most likely used a 2nd or 3rd round pick on him in which case you may not be receiving the same value for him as you expected. Soriano hasn't been stealing many bases this year as is and those numbers certainly won't improve after this latest injury. This may be the excuse Pinella needs to finally take Soriano out of the leadoff spot and move him down in the order. On the bright side, Soriano came back very strong after his injuries last year and could start mashing the ball again once he returns from this injury.