Injuries Pile Up; So Do The W's

A rash of injuries as of late have left the Flash scrambling to assemble a 25-man team, but you wouldn't know it by looking at their recent stretch of games. Despite losing 3B Cozy Thomas to a tight groin and SP Benny Aybar to a strained shoulder, both essential pieces to the team, the Flash have streaked to a 10-2 record over their last 12 games. And, of course, CF Willie Campos remains on the DL with his torn knee ligament.

How have they done it? The Flash have gotten contributions from everyone available, despite the grind of the long season. SP Julio Reynoso, acquired earlier this season from Colorado Springs, will temporarily man Aybar's position on the squad after receiving a callup from AAA. The 25-year-old made his ML debut one to remember by spinning a complete-game victory in which he looked dominant until the later innings, when his slider flattened out a bit.

Used to being surrounded by talented hitters like Thomas and Campos, SS Richard Takada has put the offense on his back of late. He leads all players in the majors in both HRs and RBIs, and his steady production in the middle of the lineup amid an ever-growing cast of characters hitting around him has kept the team not only afloat, but prospering.

1B Davy Hausmann, who was the benefactor of a callup when Campos went down, personifies the total-team effort the Flash have gotten out of their roster en route to the NL's best record. Hausmann has announced his major league arrival with authority, hitting .327 with 1 HR per 11 ABs during his limited playing time. "This is something that's instilled in us at AAA all the time. Especially at that level, the call could come at any time, and you've got to be ready to contribute for your team. I'm just doing the best I can, hoping to build off the success of the guys already up here who have brought the team this far," said Hausmann.

Those interested in the return dates of the injured Flash should expect to see Thomas back in action first, in about a week. Following him will be the much anticipated return of Campos a few days later. Aybar, unfortunately, will likely miss his next 3 starts, all of which should fall into Reynoso's hands.