By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com | 05/02/12 3:11 PM ET
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DENVER — Dodgers third baseman Juan Uribe received a cortisone shot in his injured left wrist Tuesday night and if he hasn’t responded by Friday, he will probably be placed on the disabled list, manager Don Mattingly said on Wednesday.
“Juan seems a little worse to me than the last time,” Mattingly said of Uribe, who aggravated an injury he originally sustained last month sliding into home plate. “He’s a little more concerned. He got an injection last night and we hope it helps him. We should know a lot by [Thursday].”
Because the aggravation occurred swinging a bat, Uribe can’t be counted on for pinch-hitting. That leaves Mattingly short-handed on the bench, which already was a problem Tuesday night.
“You don’t want to go long [without him],” Mattingly said. “If he could pinch-hit, at least it’s like having a guy. It is hard in this league without a guy. You feel like you’re going to run out of guys every day. You don’t want to play short or your hands are tied.”
Mattingly said there was nothing new to report about starting pitcher Ted Lilly’s stiff oblique muscle. Lilly did his pregame running, but his status for his next scheduled start won’t be determined at least until after his Friday bullpen session.
DENVER — Moments before new owners were being introduced at Dodger Stadium, manager Don Mattingly was in the dugout at Coors Field with cautionary words about where the Dodgers organization should focus on improvements.
“You can throw money at stuff and it doesn’t necessarily solve problems,” said Mattingly. “You want a Minor League system that’s strong. You want guys brought along that play the game the way you want it played.
“You want to be able to replace players over time with our people and if you need a piece, you want to be in position to get that piece to put you over the top.”
Mattingly reiterated that while the change in ownership is only a day old, the idea of a change in ownership was obvious when the club was home.
“The fans,” said Mattingly. “There was a big-time energy boost in the stadium, you can feel that.”
Mattingly watched the press conference online in his office, before the series finale with the Rockies. The press conference was not available on the clubhouse television.
Ken Gurnick is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
