KANSAS CITY – Center fielder and leadoff man Alejandro De Aza has a sore back that will keep him out of Sunday’s game. De Aza walked gingerly up the dugout steps before watching his teammates take batting practice before Saturday’s game. Dewayne Wise took De Aza’s place.
De Aza came up sore between his back and left oblique, he said, after sliding into second base during the third inning Friday. He came out in the eighth. A pennant race is no time to break down, but manager Robin Ventura said he isn’t overly concerned about De Aza’s second back issue in three weeks.
“Not too much,” Ventura said. “It was something that was cramping up on him. I think it’s more of being on the turf in Toronto. Dewayne’s filled in great, so we’ll give him a couple days.
“It could be a combination of things but he was starting to get that with the turf. [Trainer] Herm’s [Schneider] working on him, so, trust that.”
With 13 pitchers, Ventura had A.J. Pierzynski and Ray Olmedo on his bench.
“It is nice having 13 pitchers until something like this happens and then you feel short,” Ventura said.
