Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano, being a former Yankee, really wanted to play in next week’s All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, but it became official this week that he won’t be able to do that.
Soriano, on the DL since June 12 with a broken left hand, will be in attendance, but his starting spot will be taken by Colorado’s Matt Holliday.
Soriano took some batting practice in St. Louis last weekend and experienced some pain and weakness in the hand. Cubs manager Lou Piniella said Wednesday he expects Soriano back with the team in time for its second series after the All-Star break—July 21-23 in Phoenix.
However, the Cubs are hoping he takes a brief rehab stint in the minors before that, something a veteran player must approve.
"We're going to approach him on it," Piniella said. "I think it will be good for him. This isn't a two weeks thing—it's going on five weeks or so—so it's a long time. And [a player needs to] get your legs under him a little bit, catch some balls, maybe one game under the lights, get some at-bats. … But we'll see. I think it would help him, yes."NL manager Clint Hurdle of the Rockies said Thursday that Holliday will get to start because he finished second to Ryan Braun in player voting, which is used to select the reserves. Hurdle planned to wait to fill Soriano's roster spot until after Thursday's competition of fan voting for the final place on the team.
Holliday is making his third consecutive All-Star appearance. This will be his first start, but for the third All-Star Game in a row he will play right field. Hurdle said he will leave Braun of Milwaukee in left field and move Kosuke Fukudome of the Cubs to center field.
Holliday, runner-up in NL MVP voting last year, is fourth in the NL with a .343 average and has hit 14 home runs and collected 51 RBIs this season.
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