Hanley Tears Ligament In Right Thumb, Could Be Out 8 Weeks

Word has just come in on Hanley Ramirez’s injured right thumb., and it is not good. According to a tweet from Ken Rosenthal.

Hanley will need surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb. He could be sidelined for about eight weeks. According to Rosenthal, he is supposed to have surgery tomorrow. The Dodgers have yet to make an official announcement. Hanley injured his thumb diving for a ground ball in the third inning of Tuesday night’s World Baseball Classic championship game between the Dominican, and team Puerto Rico at At&T Park in San Francisco. Hanley was playing third base for the Dominican team, and was not immediately removed from the game after the injury. ( I find it annpying, ironic, and frustrating that Hanley hurt himself at At&t Park, but that’s a story for another day.)

Mar 19, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; Dominican Republic designated hitter Hanley Ramirez (13) loses the bat on the swing against Puerto Rico during the first inning of the World Baseball Classic championship at AT

Hanley stayed in the game for three more innings before being removed in the sixth inning for Miguel Tejada. Hanley was seen wearing a splint after the game and told people he felt fine. The Dodgers sent him for a precautionary MRI on his thumb on Wednesday night. This is very aggravating, especially since things were looking up regarding the injuries to other players like Carl Crawford, and Zack Greinke.

The Dodgers have many options for the left side of the infield, but the most likely scenario involves the Dodgers moving Luis Cruz to shortstop and rotating a bunch of scrubs at third base. The scrub rotation at third base could include Jerry Hairston, Skip Schumaker, Nick Punto, Elian Herrera, Justin Sellers, and yes possibly even Juan Uribe.

We’ll have more on this breaking story as it develops. As of now, Hanley Ramirez will be out eight weeks with a torn ligament in his right thumb, and will require surgery.