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ChicagoSports.com wrote:The Cubs kept their stars off the disabled list the first two months of the season, but a knee injury to Aramis Ramirez may force them to sideline the third baseman for an indefinite period.

Ramirez suffered a strained left knee while hitting first base in the second inning of Wednesday's 6-2 victory over the Brewers. Cubs physicians will examine him Thursday in Chicago.


Ramirez will receive an MRI on the knee and hopes it doesn't keep him out of the lineup for more than a few days.

"It has been sore for two, three weeks," Ramirez said. "I was able to play, but when I stepped on first I stepped kind of hard, and it's pretty sore."

ChicagoSports.com wrote:Aramis Ramirez will be limited to pinch-hitting duties this weekend while nursing what manager Lou Piniella called a "severe case of patellar tendinitis."

Piniella said Ramirez had some discomfort in his left knee before Wednesday, when he left the 6-2 victory in Milwaukee in the second inning after running hard to first on an error by the shortstop. Ramirez had an MRI on Thursday in Chicago and the Cubs are hoping that rest will be the solution so Ramirez won't have to go on the disabled list.


"So far this year when [Alfonso] Soriano had the [hamstring] pull we didn't DL him," Piniella said. "When Derrek [Lee] had the neck situation, we rode that out too. I would think we'll probably take the same avenue with this."

Ramirez was supposed to rejoin the team Thursday after being examined but couldn't get a flight out of Chicago because of the weather. He's expected to join the team Friday.

"We're going to see how he responds with treatment and rest over the weekend and make a decision Monday," Piniella said.