Brewers pitcher Gallardo has torn knee ligament

5/2/2008 5:00 PM

By KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer

HOUSTON (AP) -Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Yovani Gallardo might need surgery after tearing a ligament in his right knee trying to avoid a collision near first base Thursday.

``We're going to put him on the DL and bring Dave Bush back,'' general manager Doug Melvin said Friday. ``When the swelling goes down, we'll re-evaluate him, but it appears we're going to miss him for an extended period of time.''

The injury came in Gallardo's third start since recovering from surgery on his left knee.

Gallardo was injured in the fifth inning of Thursday's game against the Cubs when he rushed toward first base to cover a slow roller by Reed Johnson. As Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder went to apply a tag, Gallardo hurdled Johnson and landed awkwardly on his right leg.

Gallardo was on the ground for a few minutes, but managed to walk it off and keep pitching, completing the inning and another before leaving. Manager Ned Yost said Gallardo's pitches remained in the 89-90 mph range after the injury and the only indication there was something wrong was him slightly favoring his leg.

When Yost went to the mound to ask him about that, the managers recalls him saying he didn't realize he was doing it and insisted he was fine and in no pain.

``The doctor stated that going out there to pitch didn't do any further damage,'' Melvin said. ``It was torn at the time, and he was able to battle his way through it.''

Gallardo had an MRI on Friday morning that confirmed he had a torn ligament.

Gallardo joined the team in mid-April after Feb. 19 surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee that he injured just before training camp opened.

Yost said learning of Gallardo's injury was like being ``punched between the eyes.''

``It's very, very painful,'' Yost said. ``You feel sick about it. He's one of the best pitchers we've got, one of the best pitchers, we think, in the league. It's very hard because it affects everything and everybody.''

Gallardo started three games this season and had allowed one run before Thursday night. He gave up three against the Cubs, but two came after the injury.

The 22-year-old right-hander had a solid rookie year after his midseason call-up, going 9-5 with a 3.67 ERA down the stretch last season.

Bush, who was sent to Triple-A Nashville on Sunday, made three starts before Gallardo returned from his left knee surgery, but was ineffective - going 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA.

AP Sports Writer Colin Fly in Milwaukee contributed to this report.