Injuries Continue to Plague the Cubs as Ted Lilly Lands on DL

Injury strikes again! Ted Lilly was put on the 15-day DL Saturday because of inflammation in the left shoulder. The MRI showed nothing serious, just tendinitis. He will also undergo arthroscopic surgery on his knee.

This isn’t such grim news if you’re the Cubs because you are probably already used to it. One player after another goes on and off the DL for the Cubs. It happens so much it makes Cubs fans wonder if it will ever end.

Being out on the DL hasn’t happened much for Lilly. This is the first since 2005, but it was the same injury: tendinitis to the shoulder. Lily is supposed to miss four starts. Cubs fans can expect a return in mid-August if things go well.

The knee has bothered Lily earlier this month as he was scratched from his start against the Nationals July 18th to be given a few extra days of rest.

“There are times throughout the season where you feel a little something here and there, and you keep throwing and it goes away,” Lilly said before the game. “It’s nothing that’s alarming but [Tuesday] in Philly it felt a little unusual—the more I tried to throw the worse it got in between starts."

When asked what he thought of the situation, Lou Piniella responded, “There’s never a positive when a player goes on the DL, but in this case, if we can get his knee and shoulder taken care of at once [it'll be good],” Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. “What we need to do is keep hanging in there.”

It can’t be good news for the Cub’s manager. His pleas to get another bat have pretty much gone unanswered as it doesn’t look like the Cubs are looking to getting anybody before the trade deadline.

“We all felt comfortable we had enough bats when we left [ spring training]. We either haven’t been as healthy as we’d like, or certainly a lot of guys collectively haven’t hit like they can at one time,” said Jim Hendry. “It’s just the nature of every manager—you always want something better than what you have if you lose that particular game.

The surgery for Lilly will take place Monday, and Cubs fans can only hope it will go well. The Cubs have won six of their last eight, and could pick up some ground on the Cardinals. The Cubs were blessed with two easy home series during which they play the Reds and the Astros. These are two big series that can help the Cubs gain first place in the Central division.

The new Card Matt Holliday looked sharp as he went 4-for-5 with a RBI in his debut, a game in which the Cards dominated the Phillies, winning 8-1. This could be potentially bad news for the Cubbies. St. Louis hasn’t run away with the division yet, but could a new player do the trick?

Only time will tell.

One thing is certain. The Cubs need to find out ways to win without their lone All-Star. It has been a rough season, but the Cubs aren’t out of it yet. While I don’t see the Cubs making the playoffs this year I would like them to surprise me. It would surprise me more if they won a game in the playoffs.