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Rafael Furcal News & Rumors

Cards agree to terms with shortstop Furcal
December 11
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"On the day first baseman Albert Pujols makes his departure from the Cardinals official, the team he left behind has already moved on to address other needs. The Cardinals will finalize a two-year, $14-million deal with shortstop Rafael Furcal early next week. The deal has been agreed upon pending a physical, the shortstop's agent Paul Kinze confirmed to The Post-Dispatch on Saturday afternoon."
Furcal is waiting on the Cardinals
November 4
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"With baseball's free agent market officially open for business and players permitted to sign with any bidder, Cardinals shortstop Rafael Furcal has already received initial overtures from a half dozen teams. But he's willing to wait for the Cardinals. Furcal's agent, Paul Kinzer, said he has notified general manager John Mozeliak that his client is comfortable waiting until the Cardinals conclude their search for a manager before deciding where to play in 2012. The Cardinals hope to hire a new manager within a couple weeks, with Thanksgiving mentioned as the latest date for installing a replacement for Tony La Russa. "We're not in a hurry," Kinzer said. "There's definitely interest so far,"
Cardinals decline options on Furcal, Dotel
November 1
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Cardinals declined to exercise the 2012 options on contracts for shortstop Rafael Furcal and reliever Octavio Dotel, allowing each veteran to reach free agency but not closing the door entirely to the club's interest in their return. The Cardinals officially exercised the 2012 option for catcher Yadier Molina, a move general manager John Mozeliak said Sunday he would make formal. The Gold Glove-winning catcher will earn $7 million. Furcal, 34, hit .255 with seven homers and 29 runs scored as the Cardinals' leadoff hitter for 50 games after the trade deadline. Dotel, 37, came to the Cardinals from Toronto in the Colby Rasmus deal, and he became a seasoned and effective piece of the"
Holliday and Furcal return to lineup for Cards
September 24
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Matt Holliday, who had been sidelined with a tendon injury in his right hand, was back in the Cardinals' lineup today for the first time since Sept. 13. But his baserunning form was not quite back. Holliday, after reaching base on a two-out error in the fourth, ran into an inning-ending out at third base as he challenged Chicago's Alfonso Soriano, not a defensive ace, on David Freese's single to left. The Cubs led, 1-0, after four innings. ***** SORIANO PUTSCUBSAHEAD Alfonso Soriano, who crushed the Cardinals with a three-run homer on Friday, got the Chicago Cubs off to a quick start today with a two-out, run-scoring single in the first inning off Cardinals starter Kyle"
Furcal has reasons for not running
September 10
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Cardinals leadoff man Rafael Furcal has hit six home runs — five against Milwaukee — since coming in a trade from the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 31. But until Friday night, he had no stolen bases for the Cardinals and had tried to steal just once. Furcal said he didn't know he was two steals short of 300 — one short after he stole second in the third inning against the Braves— but he had a couple of explanations as to why he hasn't run more. One is that he said he didn't want to risk being thrown out ahead of No. 3 hitter Albert Pujols. "When you've got a hitter like him," Furcal said, "if you're on first base, you're going to score, no matter what." Then, obliquely referencing his"
Furcal returns Cards' interest
September 6
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Shortstop Rafael Furcal has made a strong impression on his new team. Furcal says the feeling is mutual. Stopping short of offering his hopes for next season, Furcal made clear that he is open to hearing what the Cardinals may have to say about making him part of their 2012 team, or possibly beyond. "I love the city," Furcal said. "I'd want to play for St. Louis." The Cardinals increasingly appear in a pre-emptive stance before re-entering talks with pending free agent first baseman Albert Pujols. The club must make decisions on Chris Carpenter's $15 million option for 2012, pending free agent right fielder Lance Berkman and arbitration-eligible second baseman Skip Schumaker."
Former Dodger Rafael Furcal 'doing pretty good' in St. Louis
August 23
Los Angeles Times
 
"Now wearing Cardinals red instead of Dodgers blue, veteran shortstop Rafael Furcal said he was adjusting quickly to his new surroundings in St. Louis. "I'm doing pretty good," he said before Monday's game. "I'm not hitting the way I'm used to hitting, but I'm playing good defense and I'm on the bases a lot of times." Coincidentally, it was a defensive play involving Furcal that later was the difference in the Dodgers' 2-1 win. Aaron Miles scored from third base ahead of a throw by Furcal to the plate. Furcal was not in the starting lineup after twisting his right thumb Sunday while falling in indoor batting cages at Wrigley Field in Chicago. But he was inserted into the game in the ninth"
Furcal misses another game
August 22
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"When the Cardinals fail to catch a break, they still can't dodge a sprain. Shortstop Rafael Furcal missed a second straight start in Sunday night's nationally telecast game against the Chicago Cubs because of a severe thumb sprain suffered in a fall before Saturday's 3-0 loss. Furcal, whom manager Tony La Russa planned to rest Saturday, said he stumbled when part of a wooden step leading to the cages broke off. Furcal fell face forward and braced himself with his hands. His right thumb became badly twisted, resulting in severe swelling and pain. The Cardinals considered the situation serious enough that Furcal received X-rays. Though X-rays were negative, La Russa could not predict when"
Furcal comes up big for Cards
August 12
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"As hitting streaks go, Rafael Furcal's is modest by any standard. In crafting a six-game skein, the new Cardinals shortstop has had only seven hits in 28 at-bats, which is a .250 average. While that may seem pedestrian, Furcal was batting just .205 when the streak started. Now he is all the way up to .207. But in his one-hit-a-night pace, Furcal came up with a monster shot in the Cardinals' first inning Thursday night. After the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers, smelling blood in the water, had jumped on Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter for two runs in the top of the first, Furcal opened the bottom of the inning with a 405-foot homer to right. "That was a nice answer," manager Tony La Russa"
Dodgers finalize Rafael Furcal's trade to St. Louis and pick up other pieces
August 1
Los Angeles Times
 
"Ned Colletti compared the timing of the acquisition to that of Manny Ramirez. Only this time, the Dodgers general manager wasn't getting a 12-time All-Star to fortify the team's offense for a playoff push. In a three-team deal consummated only minutes before Sunday's non-waiver trading deadline, the Dodgers received catcher Tim Federowicz and pitchers Juan Rodriguez and Stephen Fife, all minor league players who probably won't have a section of Dodger Stadium named in their honor anytime soon. It was the second move on a busy day in which the Dodgers also finalized a previously anticipated trade, sending shortstop Rafael Furcal to the St. Louis Cardinals for minor league outfielder Alex"
Dodgers to get Alex Castellanos from Cards to complete Furcal trade
July 31
Hardball Talk
 
"The deal isn't quite official yet, but Rafael Furcal has waived his 10-and-5 rights and will accept a trade to the Cardinals. As for who the Dodgers will get in return, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Dispatch reports that it'll be a one-for-one swap with Double-A outfielder Alex Castellanos going to Los Angeles."
Dodgers suffer through two losses: one to Arizona, the other probably Rafael Furcal
July 31
L.A. Daily News
 
"When the Dodgers take the field for today's game, they will do so knowing that this will be their team the rest of the way. The trade deadline will have passed and, except for possible moves via the waiver wire, they will have said goodbye to any familiar faces shipped to contenders. While all signs pointed to Rafael Furcal getting traded to St. Louis, those who remained came into sharp focus as the Dodgers lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks, 6-4, on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium. Matt Kemp homered for the second straight game but starter Chad Billingsley was felled in a five-run sixth inning as the Dodgers lost for only the second time in the past seven games. Furcal's locker appeared"
Cardinals seal deal for Furcal
July 31
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Cardinals on Saturday acquired shortstop Rafael Furcal and cash considerations from the Los Angeles Dodgers for a minor-league outfielder the teams have yet to identify. The deal became final when Furcal, who possesses sufficient service time to veto any trade, waived his privilege. Furcal was in uniform for the start of the Dodgers' game Saturday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks but, according to a source familiar with the situation, is expected to join his new team today. Cardinals officials declined to comment after the team's 13-5 win over the Chicago Cubs; however, a number of players were confident enough of the trade going through that they commented on what his addition"
Cards seek shortstop, talk to LA about Furcal
July 30
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"With less than two days remaining before the non-waiver trade deadline, the Cardinals have focused on acquiring a shortstop in a market an official with the team once described as thin on options at that position. As part of their search for an upgrade at shortstop, the Cardinals have had ongoing discussions with the Los Angeles Dodgers about switch-hitter Rafael Furcal, a baseball source confirmed to The Post-Dispatch. On Friday afternoon, Post-Dispatch baseball writer Joe Strauss reported that shortstop had become a "priority" for the Cardinals and that momentum was building for another move before the deadline. Owner Bill DeWitt Jr. met at length with manager Tony La Russa at Busch"
Furcal to SF?
July 28
ESPN.com
 
"On another Dodgers front, one exec who spoke with them reports the Giants have talked to L.A. about shortstop Rafael Furcal."
Furcal's hit in ninth wins it for Dodgers
July 24
L.A. Daily News
 
"The 100th game of the Dodgers season came and went on a breezy Saturday night in Los Angeles. You just knew the Dodgers couldn't let the occasion come and go without doing something unusual. So, in honor of a season that's gone horribly wrong on so many different levels, we give you this curious nugget. On a night in which starting pitcher Ted Lilly drove in a career-high three runs - his first RBIs of the season no less - he couldn't make it to the sixth after giving up six runs in five innings. And in a season in which the Dodgers keep searching and searching for someone other than Matt Kemp or Andre Ethier to produce in a big moment, they get exactly that. From three unlikely sources:"
Furcal's eighth-inning single makes winner out of Billingsley, 1-0 over Padres
July 9
L.A. Daily News
 
"Chad Billingsley is no stranger to being a hero in Dodgers victories. Javy Guerra and Rafael Furcal joined him as being instrumental in Friday's 1-0 victory over the San Diego Padres. Guerra and Furcal haven't been in that position much this year. Billinsgley pitched a brilliant game, in which he allowed just four hits and no runs through eight innings. Guerra loaded the bases to start the ninth inning, then recorded the next three outs to earn the save. Furcal singled in the winning run to right field in the eighth inning, driving in Trent Oeltjen. The Dodgers' offensive fireworks from the previous night against the New York Mets - they won 6-0 - were nonexistent. But Friday's one run was"
Don Mattingly expects Dee Gordon to rejoin the Dodgers this season
July 5
Los Angeles Times
 
"What Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly said he remembered most about Dee Gordon's first stint in the majors wasn't his speed or his swing. Speaking about the shortstop prospect the Dodgers sent to triple-A Albuquerque on Monday, Mattingly recalled a recent conversation they had in the infield during batting practice. Gordon wasn't hitting and Mattingly asked him about the kind of adjustments he was thinking of making against certain pitchers. Mattingly said he liked what the kid was telling him, that he liked how he was thinking. Later in the conversation, Mattingly said Gordon told him, "I want to be the best." "He showed me he wants to be great," Mattingly said. "That's the biggest thing.""
Furcal back; Blake out
July 4
The Press-Enterprise
 
"The revolving door that is the Dodgers' disabled list spun again Sunday, bringing Rafael Furcal back on the roster while sending Casey Blake off -- and giving rookie Dee Gordon a reprieve from a return to the minor leagues. Manager Don Mattingly said the decision to put Blake on the DL came after Saturday's 7-1 loss to the Angels. That opened up room for Furcal to return from his left oblique strain but created, at least temporarily, a logjam at shortstop, since Mattingly has ruled out moving Furcal to second. "He told me he would do it," Mattingly said, "but his words said one thing and his face said another, that he wasn't real comfortable with it." Mattingly said he doesn't want Gordon"
Dodgers get Rafael Furcal back but lose Casey Blake, again
July 4
Los Angeles Times
 
"As shortstop Rafael Furcal came back from the disabled list Sunday, another Dodgers veteran, third baseman Casey Blake, went on the DL for the third time this season. Blake, 37, has struggled with a persistent sore neck. "He's been battling this thing," Manager Don Mattingly said before the Dodgers lost, 3-1, to the Angels at Angel Stadium. It's unclear whether Blake's pain and limited motion in his neck are being caused by a pinched nerve, arthritis or some other problem, but putting him on the DL should "give him the time to try to get it right," Mattingly said. Blake was on the DL earlier this season because of back problems, then again for surgery for a staph infection on his left"
Rafael Furcal isn't worried about hitting place in Dodgers lineup
July 3
Los Angeles Times
 
"Rafael Furcal is expected to return as the Dodgers shortstop Sunday. Less certain is where he'll hit in the batting order. Tony Gwynn Jr.'s emergence as a capable leadoff hitter could thrust Furcal lower in the order. "More than anything, he's taken over that leadoff spot and that's really an area that we've scrambled with all year," Manager Don Mattingly said of Gwynn, who was batting .274 in the leadoff spot before Saturday's game as opposed to his overall .255 average. Furcal, who has batted exclusively in the leadoff spot this season, said he didn't care where he hit. "If they want me to hit eighth, seventh, it doesn't matter," said Furcal, who has been on the disabled list since June"
Rafael Furcal might come back as a second baseman
June 25
Los Angeles Times
 
"Sidelined shortstop Rafael Furcal could return from the disabled list as a second baseman so rookie Dee Gordon can remain in the lineup, Manager Don Mattingly said. Mattingly said he and General Manager Ned Colletti have discussed the possibility of a position change for Furcal, who has played only 34 of his 1,414 career games at second base. Furcal has played second base in the Dominican winter league, but hasn't played the position in the major leagues since 2004. Mattingly and Colletti haven't yet approached Furcal with the idea, but the two-time All-Star said Friday that he would be open to it. "If I have to do it to help the team, I'll do it," Furcal said. Furcal could start a minor"
Rafael Furcal close to rehabilitation assignment
June 21
Los Angeles Times
 
"Sidelined shortstop Rafael Furcal could begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment as soon as next week, trainer Stan Conte said. Furcal was able to field grounders and throw Monday, something Conte described as a significant step, considering he was hurt doing exactly that. Furcal, who has batted .212 in 17 games, was put on the disabled list June 4 because of a strained side muscle. Conte said Furcal is sprinting without any problems and can hit pain-free from the right side. He said the switch-hitter still feels slight discomfort when hitting from the left side. "He could go out for a rehab assignment when we go on the road," Conte said. The Dodgers open a three-game series in"
Dodgers put Rafael Furcal, Jon Garland on the disabled list
June 5
Los Angeles Times
 
"Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal said he wanted to cry. But as frustrated as he was about landing on the disabled list for the second time this season, Furcal refused to say the "R" word Saturday. You know, "retire." Furcal said he learned his lesson in April, when he mentioned the possibility after breaking his thumb. "I don't want to say it again because they'll make a big deal of it in the Dominican," Furcal said. He smiled and shook his head. Earlier in the day, Furcal and Jon Garland were put on the disabled list, Furcal because of a left side muscle strain and Garland because of shoulder inflammation. Furcal and Garland became the ninth and 10th players on the Dodgers' current"
Furcal, Kershaw lead Dodgers to rout of Marlins
May 30
The Press-Enterprise
 
"Rafael Furcal has been back in the Dodgers lineup for more than a week, but his bat finally showed up on Sunday. Ignited by Furcal's three-hit afternoon -- including his first home run this season -- the Dodgers pounded out a season-high 17 hits in lavish support of a two-hitter by Clayton Kershaw , adding up to an 8-0 rout of Florida. That gave the Dodgers their first series win in six tries -- since they took two out of three at Pittsburgh on May 9-11. But the big-picture significance was probably in seeing what might happen with Furcal succeeding in the leadoff role, and his teammates were quick to point that out. "That's the key, man," said catcher Dioner Navarro. "We need him. He's"
Furcal could return to Dodgers on Sunday
May 22
MLB.com
 (scroll down)
"Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal arrived in Chicago in time to go through a postgame workout Saturday at U.S. Cellular Field and, if he is sound Sunday, could be activated from the disabled list. Furcal spent five weeks on the shelf with a broken left thumb, but the most recent concern was a left knee bruise he suffered sliding into second base in his last rehab start for Triple-A Albuquerque this week."
Dodgers' Rafael Furcal thinks he is close to returning
May 8
Los Angeles Times
 
"Taking batting practice for the first time since he broke his left thumb three weeks ago, Rafael Furcal said he thinks he will be able to start a minor league rehabilitation by the middle of this week. "I'm excited," Furcal said. Furcal also took ground balls, another first. Furcal said he thinks he will be ready to rejoin the Dodgers after three or four minor league games. Part of that is because he has maintained a rigorous conditioning program while sidelined. "My body is in great shape," Furcal said. But there's a checklist of tasks Furcal must complete before he starts playing in games again. He has to be able to hit from the right side. (He batted only left-handed Saturday because"
Dodgers' Rafael Furcal impatient to return to lineup
May 1
Los Angeles Times
 
"With apologies to rocker Tom Petty, the waiting is the hardest part for Rafael Furcal. It's been nearly three weeks since the Dodgers shortstop went on the disabled list after breaking his left thumb while sliding, and "I want to play right now," Furcal, still wearing a splint on the finger, said before Saturday's game. Furcal was expected to miss four to six weeks. The wait "is boring," said Furcal, 33, the team's highest-paid player with a salary of $12 million. "As soon as possible I want to come back to the field." Furcal might soon make some progress. "It's starting to feel much better," and on Monday "we've got three weeks [since the injury] and we can start, maybe, seeing what we"
No surgery for Furcal
April 13
The Press-Enterprise
 
"The Dodgers will take their good news where they can get it when it comes to Rafael Furcal. Like this: He only broke his thumb, which won't require surgery. And this: It's April, so there will be plenty of season left when the Dodgers expect to get Furcal back, four to six weeks from now. "It's not a shot you want to take, really," Manager Don Mattingly said before Tuesday's game against the Giants. "It's one of those things you deal with. I'd rather it happen now than later." The Dodgers' oft-injured shortstop, who had just come back from a wrist injury, hurt his left thumb while sliding headfirst into third base in the fifth inning on Monday. A break was revealed by an X-ray on Monday"
Furcal goes on DL, could miss 4 to 6 weeks
April 13
L.A. Daily News
 
"Oft-injured Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal is once again on the disabled list. Furcal injured his left thumb diving into third base during a four-run fifth inning in Monday's 6-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park, and X-rays taken after the game revealed a fracture. Furcal's condition was evaluated by team doctors in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The injury will not require surgery, but the Dodgers catalyst will wear a splint for three weeks and is expected to miss about four to six weeks, manager Don Mattingly said. The only good news from a Dodgers' standpoint is that Furcal can resume some normal baseball activity, including throwing, since the injury doesn't affect his"
With Rafael Furcal on DL again, Dodgers are back on familiar territory
April 13
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Dodgers are back to where they were a season ago. Rafael Furcal is on the disabled list. Jamey Carroll is their starting shortstop. "That's why I'm here," Carroll said. Furcal, who broke his left thumb on a head-first slide into third base Monday night, visited Dr. Steven Shin in Los Angeles and was told his thumb will be in a splint for the next three weeks. He will not have surgery. Manager Don Mattingly said he expected Furcal to be back in the lineup in four to six weeks. Until then, Mattingly said Carroll would be the primary shortstop. Juan Uribe, who played 101 games at shortstop for the San Francisco Giants last season, could also play there on occasion. General Manager Ned"
Kershaw dominates San Francisco again; Furcal breaks left thumb
April 12
L.A. Daily News
 
"Where others watching Clayton Kershaw pitch Monday night might have seen a gem, the left-hander saw room for improvement. "Truthfully, it was a battle," Kershaw said. "I was behind a lot of hitters." It's probably safe to say Kershaw is in the minority after pitching 63 shutout innings to lead the Dodgers to a 6-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants in front of a sellout crowd of 40,870 at AT&T Park. "Exactly what we needed," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. So was the Dodgers sputtering offense breaking through for 11 hits. But shortstop Rafael Furcal suffering a broken left thumb diving into third in the fifth inning was exactly what the Dodgers didn't need. Furcal said he wasn't"
Furcal breaks thumb, could be sidelined for six weeks
April 12
Los Angeles Times
 
"If Clayton Kershaw continues to pitch the way he's pitched, who knows how many games he can win? And if Matt Kemp continues to run the way he's run, who knows how many bases he can steal? On a night that started with the Dodgers and San Francisco Giants taking the field in a pregame ceremony to remind fans at AT&T Park that they shouldn't attack each other, the chants of "Beat-L.-A." that followed were soon muted by Kershaw's arm and Kemp's legs. But the promise offered by Kershaw and Kemp's performances in the Dodgers' 6-1 victory over the defending World Series champions was tempered by a sobering reality on the far end of the clubhouse: Rafael Furcal was hurt again. Furcal, who has"
Dodgers' Rafael Furcal sits out game
April 10
Los Angeles Times
 
"Rafael Furcal wasn't in the Dodgers lineup against the San Diego Padres on Saturday night - only this time, it wasn't by design. Furcal hurt his left wrist on a checked swing earlier in the week in Colorado, Manager Don Mattingly said. Because Furcal could throw the ball without discomfort, Mattingly sent him to the field at Petco Park to play shortstop when Friday night's suspended game was resumed Saturday afternoon. When Furcal's turn to hit came in the 10th inning, Mattingly replaced Furcal with a pinch-hitter. Furcal sat out the scheduled Saturday night game, which followed the suspended game. "It's not going to be a long-term thing," Mattingly said. "Hopefully, he'll be ready to go"
Rafael Furcal says he's recovered from off-season illness
March 25
Los Angeles Times
 
"Rafael Furcal tapped his bare stomach and declared he was ready for opening day. His midsection was protruding but didn't look nearly as large as it did when the Dodgers started full-squad workouts five weeks ago. Asked how much weight he had lost, Furcal said, "Five pounds." Only five? The All-Star shortstop explained that what looked like fat wasn't fat. His expanded waistline was the result of bloating, a side effect of medication he took in the winter. Reporting from Phoenix — Furcal said he contracted an illness in January by eating contaminated meat in his native Dominican Republic. "I had some bacteria in my stomach," Furcal said. "I couldn't digest food." Furcal continued to work"
Rafael Furcal approaches 2011 season in a gray area
February 21
Los Angeles Times
 
"Rafael Furcal pointed to the white hairs along the side of his head and laughed. Yes, Furcal conceded, he's older. But even though the shortstop has had back problems in recent years that will force the Dodgers to handle him with almost as much care as 37-year-old Casey Blake, he said retirement is not even remotely on his mind. "I'm 33 years old," Furcal said. "Some guys play until they're 42." Furcal's future with the Dodgers probably will be determined by his ability to remain healthy in the final guaranteed year of his contract. If he can make 600 plate appearances, his $12-million club option for 2012 will automatically be exercised. "I'm not thinking about that at all," Furcal said."
Dodgers' Rafael Furcal could be in lineup Friday against Giants
September 1
Los Angeles Times
 
"Rafael Furcal could be back in the lineup when the Dodgers open a crucial three-game series against the San Francisco Giants on Friday. Furcal is scheduled to go on a two-game minor league rehabilitation assignment with the Dodgers' triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque, which will start Wednesday. Sidelined since Aug. 3 with a lower back strain, the shortstop spent last week rehabilitating at the Dodgers' spring-training complex in Arizona. He has worked out at Dodger Stadium over the last couple of days and reported feeling better. "Everything feels good," Furcal said. "Totally better than before. Right now, I feel good." Utility player Jamey Carroll has started at shortstop in Furcal's"
Rafael Furcal to start rehab, Ryan Theriot out with sore knee, Vicente Padilla hit on arm by line drive
September 1
Los Angeles Times
 
"Away from downtown court action, the Dodgers still managed to be active at the stadium Tuesday on the health front. Shortstop Rafael Furcal, on the disabled list since Aug. 11 with a lower back strain, is scheduled to begin a two-game rehabilitation assignment at triple-A Albuquerque on Wednesday. Dodgers trainer Stan Conte said Furcal is then scheduled to rejoin the Dodgers on Friday. "It's totally better than before,'' Furcal said. "Right now, I feel good.'' Second baseman Ryan Theriot, who has an 11-game hitting streak, was scratched from the lineup with a sore left knee. He was replaced by Ronnie Belliard. Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth slid into Theriot on Monday night in the eighth"
Furcal gets cortisone shot, second MRI
August 22
MLB.com
 
"Rafael Furcal was not at Dodger Stadium on Saturday. Instead, he rested at home after receiving a cortisone shot and an MRI for his strained back in the morning. The results of the MRI showed no changes from the first MRI the Dodgers shortstop received when he was initially hurt, after an awkward twist in the field on Aug. 2. The cortisone shot, applied to a specific part of the spine, also went well. "It's very nice that you have the right spot and the injection went where you wanted," team trainer Stan Conte said. Before the cortisone is injected, a numbing agent is administered, and if the numbing agent is in the appropriate spot, the pain disappears immediately. It takes several days"
Rafael Furcal is put on the disabled list
August 11
Los Angeles Times
 
"Rafael Furcal will make the move he resisted. He is heading to the 15-day disabled list. On his way out of the Dodgers' clubhouse Tuesday night, Furcal said his surgically repaired lower back stiffened in a pregame workout, which included fielding grounders at shortstop. Furcal hadn't fielded grounders since he strained his back on a throw across his body Aug. 2. "We decided it was probably the safest thing to do," Manager Joe Torre said. Torre said the decision was made during the game Tuesday night. "It's not a setback," Torre said. "He got loose, but when push comes to shove, with a week invested and a week to go, it's probably smarter to do this." Furcal will be eligible to be"
Rafael Furcal feels much more at ease
August 5
Los Angeles Times
 
"Rafael Furcal took a sigh of relief and shook his head. He smiled. The MRI exam Furcal underwent on his back Tuesday was negative, which was positive news for the All-Star shortstop who had an operation two years ago for a herniated disk. The exam showed no disk or nerve problems. Although Furcal remained out of the lineup and said his back was still tender, he was hopeful that he could be back in three to five days. "I'm happy because I don't want to be on the 15-day DL," he said. "I don't want another surgery." Furcal said he feared for the worst and wondered whether his career might be over. Furcal was injured while throwing across his body in the fifth inning of the Dodgers' 10-5 loss"
Furcal, Weaver hurt; Manny has setback
August 4
L.A. Daily News
 
"The news just keeps getting worse for the Dodgers. The season is slipping away before their very eyes - the bats going silent, the San Diego Padres showing no signs of slowing down and four teams ahead of them in the National League wild-card race - and now comes word lead-off hitter Rafael Furcal suffered a back injury Monday and relief pitcher Jeff Weaver is headed to the disabled list with tendinitis in his left knee. Manny Ramirez's return from a calf injury also suffered a setback Tuesday and it now looks like he won't be back with the Dodgers for another two weeks at the earliest. Of more immediate concern is Furcal, who underwent an MRI Tuesday after tweaking his back while making a"
There's bad news on Rafael Furcal and Manny Ramirez
August 4
Los Angeles Times
 
"The news turned from bad to worse for the Dodgers on Tuesday. Rafael Furcal, who felt something in his surgically repaired lower back the previous night, suffered what the Dodgers said was a strained back. He was listed as day to day. The news wasn't much better from their spring training complex in Arizona. That's where trainer Stan Conte watched Manny Ramirez work out and told Manager Joe Torre that the $20-million outfielder probably wouldn't be ready to start a minor league rehabilitation for another week. Furcal missed 4½ months of the 2008 season because of a herniated disk that forced him to undergo a midseason operation. Torre treated him with kid gloves last season, removing him"
Furcal injures back, Manny's return pushed back, Weaver to DL
August 4
Los Angeles Times
 
"If the cavalry's coming, it must be in disguise. Familiar faces are starting to drop. And one of them is very scary. The pregame news was all bad for the Dodgers on Tuesday, and that was besides the six-game losing streak. Manny Ramirez, rehabbing his latest leg injury in Phoenix, suffered what Manager Joe Torre described as a setback. The Dodgers hoped he could start a minor league rehab assignment this week, but now he has been pushed back again. Seems there is an explanation for the decline of right-handed reliever Jeff Weaver after all, the Dodgers putting him on the disabled list with right knee tendinitis and calling Ramon Troncoso back up. Of most concern, shortstop Rafael Furcal,"
Just call Dodgers shortstop Furcal the hesitant All-Star
July 13
L.A. Daily News
 
"Deep down, Rafael Furcal greatly appreciates being selected for the All-Star Game. Even though it came late, as he was tabbed by National League manager Charlie Manuel to replace Jose Reyes. Even though it ruins Furcal's three-day break, which he hoped to spend with his family. But outwardly? "My first reaction was not happy," Furcal said. "When Ned Colletti called me up, I told him, `No, I don't want to go.' But he talked to me, (Dodgers manager Joe Torre) came in and talked to me, and I understood later that I have to represent my team. All of the fans of the Dodgers follow Rafael Furcal, and they're going to be happy to see me in the All-Star Game." Furcal, who is batting .333 with 49"
Furcal's new streaks lift Dodgers to victory
July 9
L.A. Daily News
 
"Rafael Furcal punctuated his new hit streak in style - simultaneously with his new run-scoring streak. After the shortstop's 12-game streak of scoring a run - the longest since the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles - and 10-game hit streak ended Wednesday, his two-run homer in the seventh inning lifted the Dodgers to a 3-2 victory against the Chicago Cubs in front of 43,640 Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. Furcal, who went 3 for 3, began both new streaks in the first inning after leading off with a double before James Loney drove him in, giving Loney his team-leading 58 thRBI this season and driving in what would be the Dodgers' only run in the first sixinnings. Trailing 2-1 in the seventh,"
Dodgers defeat Cubs on Furcal's two-run home run
July 9
L.A. Daily News
 
"Rafael Furcal punctuated his new hitting streak in style, simultaneously with his new run-scoring streak. After the shortstop's 12-game runs scoring streak - the longest since the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles - and 10-game hitting streak ended on Wednesday, his two-run home run in the seventh inning lifted the Dodgers to a 3-2 win over the Chicago Cubs in front of 43,640 at Dodger Stadium Thursday night. Furcal, who went 3 for 3, began both new streaks in the first inning after leading off the game with a double before he became James Loney's team-leading 58th RBI to give the Dodgers their only run of the first six innings. The Dodgers trailed 2-1 entering the seventh inning of a game in"
Clayton Kershaw, Rafael Furcal shine in Dodgers' 3-2 win over Chicago
July 9
Los Angeles Times
 
"In the last week or so, there's been a major change in the Dodgers' clubhouse. Miley Cyrus is out. M.I.A. is back in. So when the Dodgers win, as they did by a 3-2 margin over the Chicago Cubs on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium, "Paper Planes" blares over the locker room sound system. No more "Party in the U.S.A." "We went back to our old roots," Clayton Kershaw said jokingly. "We went back to 2008. We needed a change." But for the two players who were most instrumental in the Dodgers' latest victory, this season has been nothing like the seasons they had two years ago. At this stage of the season of 2008, Kershaw was a 20-year-old rookie trying to discover the key to consistency. Rafael"
Rafael Furcal comes to terms with father's death
July 9
Los Angeles Times
 
"For about a month, Rafael Furcal said that his mind was wandering. His father, Silvino, was in the hospital in the Dominican Republic after being kicked by a horse. "What can I tell you?" Furcal said. "I wasn't able to concentrate." Three weeks ago, Furcal returned home to see his father during his final days. In some ways, Furcal said that the death of his father relieved him of a significant emotional burden. "What can I do now?" he asked. "Now that he's gone, I have to move forward. I have to concentrate. "Because I got to see him, I feel better now." That has translated into better results on the field. In the 14 games Furcal played from his return from the bereavement list June 23 to"