Touch 'Em All: Biddle looks sharp in Reading

Double-A pitching prospect Jesse Biddle, a former star at Germantown Friends, gave up two runs on three hits during a seven-inning outing Sunday in the Fightin Phils' 15-3 win over the Harrisburg Senators in Reading. Biddle, whose record climbed to 3-3 with the victory, struck out six and walked three. His ERA is 3.43.

That's an improvement from his previous Eastern League appearance, in an 8-6 loss Monday to the Sea Dogs in Portland, Maine. The lefthander struggled and put his team in a deep hole. Biddle allowed six runs (two earned) on four hits and five walks while striking out just one over four innings.

Sunday could prove to be a costly day for the Los Angeles Dodgers. And we're not talking about the opportunities they wasted in a 5-4 loss to the Marlins in Miami.

That's because the team may be without outfielder Yasiel Puig after he slammed into the right-field wall. That took place several hours after lefthander Hyun-Jin Ryu returned to Los Angeles to have his sore left shoulder examined.

Puig leaped into a padded support post in the right-field corner, nearly coming away with Jeff Baker's game-winning double with two out in the ninth. He missed making a spectacular catch by inches, then fell in a heap to the warning track where he remained for several minutes before walking off the field with his left arm draped around the shoulder of head trainer Stan Conte.

Several teammates stopped by Puig's locker afterward, but the outfielder, groggy and glassy-eyed, did not speak to the media.

Meanwhile Ryu, who went on the disabled list Friday with shoulder inflammation, did not continue on with the team to Washington. Ryu, the third Dodgers starting pitcher to go on the disabled list this year, isn't eligible to be reactivated until next week.

Ryu is 3-2 with a 3.00 earned-run average in a team-high seven starts.

The hitting bug isn't the only contagious thing in the Colorado Rockies' lineup these days. A viral infection has broken out in the clubhouse, sending catcher Wilin Rosario and infielder Josh Rutledge to the 15-day disabled list with high fevers and headaches.

To prevent the virus from spreading, manager Walt Weiss is telling his players to wash their hands again and again. High-fiving after big hits could spread the infection.

"When you get a nasty bug like this, it tends to go through the clubhouse," Weiss said. "We've got a few different bugs running around in that clubhouse."

As for the hitting bug, that's one the Rockies would like to keep going. The Rockies lead the majors in homers (43), RBIs (178) and average (.300).

- Staff and wire reports