Major League Baseball

Dodgers' Blake could miss six weeks

Published Apr. 29, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

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Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Casey Blake was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday, although he is expected to be out up to six weeks after developing a staph infection in his left elbow.

Blake is expected to be released from the hospital Saturday, two days after having surgery to clean out the infection, which did not spread beyond his elbow, Dodgers athletic trainer Stan Conte said.

Conte said the type of infection Blake has is not MRSA, which can be deadly.

Still, manager Don Mattingly said, ''It's something fairly dangerous. This thing could've gotten bad.''

Blake's arm will be in a sling for 10 days, Mattingly said.

Blake already on antibiotics when he woke up early Wednesday in Florida with a fever and chills, and was taken by Conte to the hospital. Blake had developed a 102-degree temperature and his elbow was swollen similar to the size of a ''big squash,'' signaling an infection, Conte said.

Doctors in Florida drained the bursa sac and cultured the fluid inside, the trainer said. It took time to identify the infection because they had to allow it to grow in a petri dish.

Conte said the infection ''sort of came out of nowhere'' because Blake didn't have an open wound or any trauma near the site. He hadn't been playing on the road earlier in the week because of a groin pull.

''Everyone is wracking their brain on how this happened,'' Conte said.

Blake took the infection and surgery in stride, Conte said, adding, ''He's a matter-of-fact guy. He was calmer than I was.''

Blake began the season on the disabled list because of back problems.

To take Blake's place on the roster, the Dodgers recalled infielder Russell Mitchell from Triple-A Albuquerque, where he was hitting .214. Mattingly said Juan Uribe would mostly play third.

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