Monday, April 17, 2006
Brandon Phillips Pushing Womack Out, Way Out
He arrives by way of Cleveland with a smudged face and some spots on his collar. But Brandon Phillips is being dusted off and polished up by the Reds to resume his long lost Indians identity as second baseman of the future. And the future is now. More and more, Cincinnati manager Jerry Narron will give the 25-year-old ex-hot prospect regular playing time at second base, and perhaps occassionally at shortstop, at the expense of veteran Tony Womack, 36. With the Reds needing to carry 12 pitchers because of the team's overworked bullpen, and carrying three catchers, watch for the team to eat Womack's $1.5 million contract and send Womack packing to make room for Jason LaRue when LaRue returns from the DL. Phillips will stay as he fits into the team's rebuilding mode.
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Doctor X -- the 'Baseball Medic' -- is an anonymous U.S. government trauma specialist with a Duke University sports medicine background and more than 20 years experience in emergency medicine. From time to time he considers MLB rumors, events and news reports as they pertain to baseball players' injuries, illnesses and various other disabilities, both on the field and off.
MLB Rumors editor Greg Fieg is a former sports news editor and award-winning writer whose bylines have appeared on the wires of the Associated Press and in numerous publications, including San Antonio Express-News, San Antonio Light, Houston Chronicle and Philadelphia Bulletin. He formerly was posted in various positions on the U.S.-Mexican border with Freedom Newspapers, and was a regular, independent contributor to United Press International.