Come To Think of It: Put Derrek Lee on the Disabled List

Awhile back, I wrote an article suggesting that the Cubs should have put Milton Bradley on the DL. They didn't, just as they haven't disabled Aramis Ramirez, but the situation with Derrek Lee is different.

Lee is not hitting, save for the rare home run this afternoon, and he has a bulging disk in his neck.

Now, I could understand if he was hitting great or if this was the stretch of the season where you get your butt out there no matter what.

But hey, this is early in the season, Lee is struggling, and we have a capable replacement in Micah Hoffpauir.

Yet the Cubs don't force Lee to the DL. It is stupid, really.

Just who is running this team: Jim Hendry and his trainers or the players? That seems obvious, especially after Geo Soto, Milton Bradley, and now Ramirez and Lee make the decision rather than the front office.

Look, Soto has struggled offensively and hasn't been able to throw anyone out at second. Why wouldn't the Cubs have played it safe with their 2008 Rookie of the Year?

And the other injuries have left Lou short-handed, to the point where he has had to use Hoffpauir in the outfield (he can't play outfield, despite his sliding catch today), Fontenot at third, and Carlos Zambrano as a pinch hitter.

I know many Cubs fans think Big Z is an acceptable pinch hitter. But if you look at his career numbers, you will see that he should not be in that role.

True, Zambrano has hit 17 home runs in his 509 career at-bats. But he has walked only six times and has struck out 180 times. Think about that for a minute.

The Cubs seem to be the ones who are panicking by not making themselves willing to put certain players on the DL.

It's early, Jim Hendry, so why not err on the cautious side?

As Harry used to say, "discretion is the better part of valor," come to think of it.