Blake DeWitt shared the NL Rookie of the Month ballot with Joey Votto of the Reds, Geovany Soto from the Cubs, and Manny Acosta of the Braves, but DeWitt took the award for the month of May.
DeWitt batted .322 with 5 homers in May to earn him the award as he fills in for Nomar at third. Nomar is expected to begin a rehab assignment beginning next week, which could put him on target to rejoin the team in about three weeks. The difference this time around is that Nomar will return to his original position at shortstop for both the minor league assignment and when he returns to the team. Nomar hasn’t played short in three years, but the absence of Rafael Furcal at short and DeWitt’s shining performance at third will prompt Torre to place Nomar at short.
Furcal has now missed 33 games in the past few weeks and will still be out at least another 2-3 weeks. Furcal was re-examined by a doctor and it was concluded that his back isn’t 100% healthy for play. Furcal will likely spend a week in the minors before returning with the team, which would likely be right before the All-Star Break. Furcal’s absence has moved him down in the All-Star voting, though, beyond the top 5.
