Soriano Sidelined Six Weeks

By Benjy Lipsman in News on Jun 12, 2008 4:07PM

Alfonso Soriano's roller coaster season took another plunge on yesterday when Atlanta Brave Jeff Bennett's 0-2 pitch hit the Cubs outfielder in the hand, breaking it.

Soriano left the game and was taken to Northwestern Hospital, where x-rays revealed a "minimally displaced fracture of the left fourth metacarpal." [Ed note: Metacarpals are the bones that make up your palm. The...non-finger portion of your hand.]

At the time of the injury, Soriano was leading the team in home runs and was just three RBI's off the pace for the team lead -- all in spite of missing 15 games following his calf injury earlier this year.

The Cubs star is expected to land on the disabled list for the next six weeks with the injury, meaning he'll return just before the trading deadline at the end of July. Will the Cubs still be cruising along with the best record in baseball then? Or is this unfortunate incident the beginning of the wheels coming off the Cubs Express? Where the team sits as the end of July approaches will determine if they add the missing pieces to try and overcome a century of futility or they begin dumping salary to clean up the books for their new owner.

AP Photo/Jerry Lai