The good old hamstring has reared its ugly head once again.
In a move Red Sox fans are undoubtedly familiar with, Manny Ramirez was forced to miss Monday's 11-1 beatdown at Pittsburgh because of a sore left hamstring, according to ESPN.com.
The Dodgers, who need just one win to clinch the NL West and were unable to do so on Sunday, are also missing Casey Blake, who has missed six straight games with a lingering hamstring injury. Ronnie Belliard also suffered a groin injury running the bases on Sunday and will likely be out for at least a few days.
"Manny felt something the other day similar to where Casey has a little bit of a hammy," manager Joe Torre told ESPN.com. "It happened Saturday but it doesn't seem too serious. I had planned to give him a day and [play him Monday] … but he came in today still a little sore."
Blake flew back to L.A. to consult with team physician Neal ElAttrache (a familiar name in New England — he performed Tom Brady's ACL surgery) and will rejoin the team on Tuesday in San Diego. Despite the way injuries are piling up on key players, Torre remains confident in his squad.
"I'd be more concerned if it were a week from now," he said.
The timetable for Ramirez's return is unclear but it seems he will not be out for an extended period of time.
