NewsDaley placed on DL after freak play
Rox reliever sprains ankle after stepping on bat Sunday
By Thomas Harding / MLB.com
05/17/09 5:48 PM ET
PITTSBURGH -- Rockies rookie Matt Daley's chance to pitch in front of family and friends ended badly, freakishly and painfully during Sunday afternoon's 11-4 loss to the Pirates.Daley entered in the seventh inning with the Rockies leading the Pirates, 4-1, and gave up a walk, a single and a double. As the double unfolded, off the bat of Freddy Sanchez, Daley dashed to back up home plate but suffered a sprained left foot when he stepped on Sanchez's bat.
Home-plate umpire Bill Welke had kicked the bat into Daley's path in an attempt to clear the plate area. Little did he know he would be sending Daley to the 15-day disabled list.
"It was just a freak accident," Daley said. "The umpire was just trying to clear the bat away so nobody gets hurt, and unluckily it was right in my path. I stepped right on it."
Daley took the warmup throws that are allowed when a pitcher is inured and told Rockies head athletic trainer Keith Dugger he was fine. Dugger disagreed. Not long after going into the clubhouse, the foot and ankle started to stiffen.
Daley's bad break, which came at the start of a 10-run inning for the Pirates, was a cruel interruption to one of a few heartening developments in the Rockies' season.
Before Sunday, Daley had posted a 1.04 ERA and struck out seven against three hits and three walks in 8 2/3 innings over eight appearances since being called up from Triple-A Colorado Springs on April 22.
Sunday's debacle lifted his ERA to 4.15. He was as upset about his not retiring any of the three batters he faced as he was about the injury. He'll have to heal and perform a rehab assignment before he can improve his numbers.
"I want to get out there, right now if I could," Daley said.
Thomas Harding is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
