ESPNMAG.com – Infield of dreams

A little story on how Andruw likes to play infield (and even catch) in batting practice. I don’t think that’s going to happen in a game though. Maybe that’s why Bobby keeps the outfield shorthanded and keeps so many infielders, so Andruw won’t get a chance.

On Andruw’s shoulder, he played on Sunday, drawing a walk and hitting a double. My understanding is still that he will need offseason surgery, but he shouldn’t be in danger of injuring it any worse by normal play. Of course, with Andruw you see lots of abnormal plays where he dives for the ball, which is how he re-injured his shoulder a few days ago.

Offensively, it might hamper his power… but could be good for his all-around game. I think the injured front shoulder will tend to keep him from pulling every pitch. It might also keep him more patient, though he’s been walking quite a bit lately. It wouldn’t be unusual for a player to hit better with this kind of injury. It’s similar to the injury Furcal had last year, and he actually hit better when it was worse — until he had to be shut down.

Andruw is also the cover story in ESPN Magazine.