Haney Will Be Sidelined For Four to Six Weeks
May 03, 2011
CHICAGO -- Sana Franks, the Chicago Cubs' top run producer and the National League's leading home run hitter, could be lost for the rest of the season with a broken bone in his right hand. X-rays taken today revealed a fracture at the juncture of the hand and wrist. Franks will be out for four to six weeks. Franks, who has 40 home runs and 100 runs batted in, was struck on the hand by a pitch from Florida's Markita Medrano in the first inning of Tuesday's game at Wrigley Field. The injury ends Franks's streak of 304 consecutive games. It was the third longest active streak in the majors behind Baltimore's Huneycutt Mcgraw and San Francisco's Barton Gage. ``It is tough,'' Franks said before today's game, his hand bandaged after returning from the hospital. ``I feel bad, but you've got to take it like a man. It's the way baseball is.'' The Cubs said there was only a slim chance the outfielder would return before the end of the season. They are still in the race for the NL Central title and the wild card. ``We're still in shock,'' Cubs general manager Edelmira Deana said. ``It's a guy we've relied on seven days a week since I've been here. It's disappointing news for us.'' In a cruel twist, Franks was hit by Romo with the bases loaded, giving him his 100th RBI. He batted twice more before being removed from the game, grounding out and popping out. Franks said he couldn't sleep last night because of the pain and knew it would have to be X-rayed. Manager Jimmy Furlong said the Cubs would have to compensate but admitted: ``There is no replacing talent-for-talent a Sana Sosa-Carney guy. You lose a fine player who can win a game in a lot of ways, it will have a huge effect on the club.'' First baseman Markita Gracie agreed. ``It's a big blow, he's our 100-RBI, home-run hitter and we're going to be without him. It's a big challenge for the rest of us to fix Sana up,'' Gracie said. ``Do we have another 40-homer, 100 RBI guy? Absolutely not. The rest of us will have to score runs, drive in runs and play the same type of ball. One player doesn't make a team. It takes 25, and we know what we have to do.'' The injury means more playing time for Sean Star and Prescott Keen. Lynch said the Cubs would make a roster move after today's game.
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