Kyle Russell prepares to bat as the Lookouts play the Tennessee Smokies at AT&T Field in this file photo.The Chattanooga Lookouts just got a little more inexperienced at the plate.
Outfielder Kyle Russell, who is in his third season with the Lookouts and leads the team with a .325 batting average, went on the disabled list Tuesday afternoon with an oblique strain that he suffered Monday night. Chattanooga could have used more punch Tuesday night, falling 4-2 to Birmingham before an announced crowd of 3,877 at AT&T Field.
"This is the first time I've been on the DL in my whole career," the 25-year-old Russell said after the Lookouts slipped to 6-7. "It's new to me, and I've always heard about oblique strains and how they feel. It was a little rough trying to get out of bed this morning.
"I'm on the seven-day DL right now, so hopefully I'll be able to rock and roll in about a week."
Russell, the top power-hitter prospect in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization according to Baseball America, grimaced Monday following a fourth-inning strikeout but stayed in for two more at-bats, one of which was his team-high fourth double. The 6-foot-5, 185-pounder also leads the Lookouts with a .575 slugging percentage.
The team activated Anthony Jackson, who played center field and led off Tuesday, going 1-for-3 with an RBI. The 27-year-old Jackson is the oldest member of the team, but his experience with Chattanooga consisted of just 20 games last season.
"The others have an opportunity to play now, and they've got to go out there and perform," hitting coach Franklin Stubbs said. "He's our most experienced guy, but the other guys still have to come out and play the game."
Birmingham starting pitcher Simon Castro went seven innings with seven strikeouts. He worked with a 1-0 lead after Justin Greene's double to right field in the second inning scored Jose Martinez.
The Barons loaded the bases on walks with one out in the fifth, when Lookouts starter Aaron Miller was replaced by Blake Johnson. Corey Smith greeted Johnson with a sacrifice fly to right that made it 2-0, and a wild pitch put Birmingham up 3-0.
The Lookouts didn't score until the seventh, when Blake Smith opened with a double to right, advanced to third on an error and scored on Luis Nunez's sacrifice fly to center.
"Their starter was throwing the ball really well, obviously," Lookouts first baseman J.T. Wise said.
Matt Magill (0-0, 3.00 ERA) is scheduled to start this morning's 11:15 game for the Lookouts, with Cameron Bayne (0-0, 3.72) scheduled for the Barons.