Ramirez 1 for 3 in final rehab game
June 30, 2009
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP)—Ready or not, Manny Ramirez(notes) is headed back tothe big leagues.
The suspended slugger played what is expected to be his final minor leaguerehab game Monday night for Class-A Inland Empire, going 1 for 3 with twostrikeouts. He is eligible to return to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday nightin San Diego after serving a 50-game suspension for violating baseball’s drugpolicy.
The Dodgers originally planned to have Ramirez play another game with InlandEmpire on Tuesday morning. But on Monday night, team spokesman Josh Rawitch saidthe slugger’s stint in the minors was over.
In part because of the 11 a.m. start Tuesday, the Dodgers didn’t see anyneed to push Ramirez further.
“I don’t think one more game is going to make that much difference,” saidgeneral manager Ned Colletti, who was in San Bernardino to watch Ramirez playagainst Rancho Cucamonga.
Ramirez batted leadoff as the designated hitter and beat out an infieldsingle in his first at-bat Monday. For the second consecutive night, he struckout twice.
Once again, he declined to speak with reporters before the game.
“No thank you,” Ramirez said. “Go to YouTube.”
Ramirez came out after striking out in the fifth inning. In five minorleague appearances, all sellouts, he went 3 for 10 with a home run and two runsscored.
Colletti doesn’t expect Ramirez to be in peak form as soon as he returns.
“He’s probably going to be a little bit rusty,” Colletti said. “You can’texpect him to miss 50 games and come right back.
“But it takes less time for the best players.”
After consecutive games with temperatures above 100 degrees, Monday’s gamewas played in a relatively pleasant 85 degrees.
Ramirez led off the bottom of the first by smacking a hard-hit bouncer deepinto the hole between shortstop and third. Shortstop Andrew Romine made a nicestop and throw, but Ramirez just beat it.
He struck out swinging in his last two at-bats.
After Ramirez left the game, he was again escorted to his white SUV like arock star, surrounded by security officers as fans screamed his name.
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