Mat-Su Miner baseball: Designated hitter injured

July 3, 2007

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

PALMER - The Mat-Su Miners have won six straight games in the last week, but during that stretch the Valley ballclub lost some pop from the lineup.

Designated hitter Ty Rasmussen injured his hand during an appearance at the plate last week. Rasmussen, who is now wearing a brace over that hand and wrist, said he aggravated an old injury and still does not know the extent of the problem.

Mat-Su general manager Pete Christopher said Rasmussen has been placed on the team's disabled list, and the University of Washington will undergo an MRI soon.

&#8220It doesn't look like it's a break,” Christopher said.

If the injury is serious, Christopher said, Rasmussen will return home to Washington.

&#8220It's a big loss if he goes home, but the player's health is priority for me,” Christopher said. &#8220I think of the player's health before I think of the team.”

Rasmussen enjoyed an unbelievable debut with the Miners, and has supplied the Alaska Baseball League team with a steady right-handed bat since.

In his first game wearing the Mat-Su green and gold, Rasmussen homered twice and drove in nine runs. He blasted both a two-run dinger and a grand slam in the Miners' 20-1 win over Three Rivers (Ore.).

Rasmussen is among team leaders in batting average (.297), RBI (11) and runs scored (nine).

To help fill the, at least temporary, void left by Rasmussen, Christopher said the Miners have added Santa Clara infielder Ryan Conan to the roster.

Conan hit .267 with a team-high eight home runs and 50 RBI during his junior season with the Division I Broncos.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.