Chicago Cubs first baseman Derek Lee has suffered a broken right hand. Lee will have to wear a cast for six weeks but the injury is expected to keep the Cubs star sidelined for three months.
Lee sustained the injury on Wednesday night during a collision with Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal during the Cubs 5-4 win.
The Cubs can ill-afford to lose Lee, the defending National League batting champion. He had just signed a five-year, $65 million contract extension with the Cubbies earlier this month.
'Obviously, he's going to be out a while and he's a good player,' Cubs general manager Jim Hendry told MLB.com. 'I'm sure he's devastated today because he's a total team guy who's integral to what we want to accomplish. It's a big blow, so we have to keep plugging and hope we can play better and better.'
The Cubs will be hard pressed to replace Lee at first base. The only immediate options are second baseman Todd Walker, who has played only nine career games at the position coming into the season, and John Mabry, who had 400 games at first under his belt entering `06.
Last year, Lee hit .335 to lead the NL and blasted 46 home runs which placed him second in the league. He also won the Gold Glove Award at first base.
This season, Lee was hitting .318 with three homers and 10 RBIs in 14 games.
The loss of Lee deals a serious blow to the Cubs hopes of contending in the NL Central this season.
