D Lee Out 8-10 Weeks

By Benjy Lipsman in News on Apr 21, 2006 1:47PM

Yesterday, we mentioned Derrek Lee's injured wrist, suffered during a game against the Dodgers, in a play that also saw relief pitcher Scott Eyre suffer a seperate injury.

The initial exam, Wednesday night, proved inconclusive. Unfortunately for the Cubs, Thursday's tests proved to be more so, and not in a good way. D Lee will miss 8 - 10 weeks with two broken bones in his wrist. According to the Trib, he "fractur[ed] the distal radial bone and the distal ulna bone," which will leave him in a cast for the next 6 weeks. There will still be additional healing, physical therapy and a minor-league rehab stint before he graces the infield at Wrigley again.

With Lee's injury coming so early in the season, the Cubs must scramble to find a suitable replacement at first base. On their current roster, Todd Walker and John Mabry seem the most likely candidates. The minor league system looks pretty empty right now, with their top first base prospect on the disabled list for a broken foot. This early in the season, nobody's looking to trade yet, so that's not an option. Cubs are probably relieved they didn't move Walker during the off season, because he's probably the best option to try and replace some of Lee's offensive output.