Last Updated on May 27, 2007 6:59 pm by admin
ST. LOUIS (AP) -Washington Nationals first baseman Dmitri Young and Scott Rolen of the St. Louis Cardinals collided near the bag in the fourth inning Sunday, and both players were sidelined before the game was over.
Young did not return after a rain delay of just over an hour in the top of the fifth due to what the team called a lower lumbar strain. The Cardinals think Rolen sustained a mild concussion when he banged his head while tumbling to the ground after beating out an infield hit.
Both teams think the injuries are minor.
Manager Tony La Russa said Rolen felt well enough to accompany the team on a flight to Colorado, where the Cardinals begin a four-game series on Monday. Rolen was hitting .233 with two homers and 19 RBIs.
“He felt good about it at the end of the game,” La Russa said. “Yeah, I feel good about it.”
The Nationals have a day off Monday and Young believes he’ll be able to play Tuesday, saying “it should be fine.”
The collision occurred after Young, batting .298 with four homers and 23 RBIs, shifted over the base to receive an off-line throw from third baseman Ryan Zimmerman.
“There ain’t nothing to describe, he ran into me,” Young said. “I went for the ball, I must have been in the line, and there was a collision.”