Cubs
From the Tribune:

The Cubs announced Todd Walker will be out four to six weeks with a severe ligament sprain in his left knee, and that Mark Prior will make his 2005 debut Tuesday against the Padres.

Though the Cubs have a capable defensive replacement for Walker in Neifi Perez, who will receive the bulk of the playing time at second, the injury was a blow that could damage the team's offense, at least for the short term.

The media is (once again) making way too much of this. Is it bad that Todd Walker is out for 4-6 weeks? Definitely. We lose a left handed hitter with 15-20 HR power and a high OBP. Defensively we don't lose much. What surprises me is that this article doesn't even mention the starter we have on our bench, Jerry Hairston. Hairston, as did I, expected to start yesterday with Walker being placed on the DL. Neifi played instead. Matchup decision according to Baker.

DUring the winter there was all this talk that this team was going to be different, more balanced. And why? Because we had gotten rid of Sosa and acquired a speedy second baseman that can hit? Does it count if he was going to sit on the bench the whole time? Well no he won't, or shouldn't, and the team can have a real leadoff hitter and move CPatt out of the one hole. It's a tribute to Patterson that he's hit in every game of the season so far because he looks way overmatched during most of his at bats. He has to learn to go the other way, stay off the high fastball and breaking pitch in the dirt, and hit the ball on a line or on the ground.

So much potential there.