Drew sits out again, might go on the DL
By Stu Durando
06/30/2002


J.D. Drew was not in the starting lineup Saturday for the third consecutive game because of a bum knee, and manager Tony La Russa raised the possibility of a trip to the disabled list.

Drew is suffering from patellar tendinitis in his right knee and has been available only for pinch-hitting duty the last two games.

Asked about the possibility of Drew going on the DL, La Russa said Drew would continue to undergo treatment in an attempt to avoid that option. But he said the possibility might play a role in whether Drew saw action Saturday.

``He's probably available to pinch-hit,'' La Russa said. ``But if you use him and put him on the disabled list then you start counting (days on the DL). So I'll try to avoid it.''

Drew has not played since Thursday; if he was placed on the DL, it could be retroactive to Thursday . . . if he doesn't play again.

Drew's tendinitis is similar to what Mark McGwire suffered at the end of his career. Trainer Barry Weinberg said Drew's case is somewhere between mild and serious.

``It's a different situation,'' Weinberg said of Drew and McGwire. ``You've got a 25-year-old and a 38-year-old, different body types, different positions. But is it the same? Yeah.''

He indicated that Drew wouldn't necessarily benefit from time on the disabled list, because the condition could improve enough for him to play in a matter of days.