A day before the Dodgers officially clinched the NL West, they received some great news on the injury front: Rafael Furcal has been activated from the 60-day DL and added to the 40-man roster. In his place, Brad Penny's season is done with right shoulder problems, swapping places with Furcal.
With the Dodgers in the postseason, it will be very interesting to see if Furcal is added to the 25-man roster. Let's face it - he hasn't played in practically forever, and his back may be feeling better, but I would hardly consider it pain-free. I give him a lot of credit for fighting his way back and trying to help the team... and the fact that he's up for a new contract may have something to do with it!
He did get an AB last night against the Padres and struck out. Oh well. Him being back in the fold can only be seen as a good sign. We shall see what the immediate future holds for him in the coming days. Will he be given a start to show if he can contribute? Or will he be like Jeff Kent and Penny, and be unable to be a part of the playoff mix? The answers will soon come.
Then there's the flip side of this, and that's Penny. This has been a lost year for him, as he was originally the opening day starter. It's really been all downhill since then, as 3 trips to the DL have totally derailed his season.
Another interesting note about Penny is that he may be done as a Dodger. The club can either exercise his $9.25 million clause or choose a $2 million buyout. At 6-9 with a 6.27 ERA, it would appear as if he's done, but I wouldn't say that quite yet. If Derek Lowe leaves, that leaves a big hole, and a healthy Penny can fill that. The offseason will be an interesting one for him.
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