12:05pm, HoHoKam Park, Mesa, AZ
Joe Torre said Russell Martin will miss four to six weeks, and most likely miss opening day. Martin has a groin pull, telling reporters this morning "it’s not anything major." Well, this is something major. In fact, Torre said Martin knew of his diagnosis this morning, but was downplaying it to the media.
A.J. Ellis will replace Martin on the big league roster, and figures to get the bulk of the starts in Martin's absence. "We have to figure out the right balance between A.J. and [Brad] Ausmus," Torre said, "I don't want to run Ausmus into the ground."
Molly Knight of ESPN reported "Torre doesn't know whether 4 to 6 weeks means back to rehab or back to games." Knight also reported that Martin will head back to Los Angeles for more tests in the next few days.
Torre added, "He's not shut down and he can work his upper body. Also, not now, but well before he's ready to come back, he can take BP, we think."
Here are the lineups for today's game, if it's not postponed:
| Dodgers |
Cubs | |||
| LF | Paul | SS | Castro | |
| SS | Carroll | RF | Fukudome | |
| 2B | DeWitt | 1B | Lee | |
| CF | Johnson | 3B | Ramirez | |
| DH | Giles | CF | Colvin | |
| 3B | Green | LF | Soriano | |
| C | Ellis | DH | Soto | |
| 1B | Mitchell | C | Hill | |
| RF | Repko | 2B | Fontenot | |
| P | Kershaw | P | Gorzelanny |
|
Scheduled to pitch for the Dodgers are Clayton Kershaw, Josh Towers, Carlos Monasterios, Ramon Troncoso, Travis Schlichting, and Armando Zerpa.
Other pitchers besides Gorzelanny listed in the Cubs pregame notes are Esmailin Caridad, Thomas Diamond, Rafael Dolis, John Gaub, and Mike Parisi.
UPDATE: Today's game has been rained out.