the dodgers played very well in his absence, but it's a totally different lineup when he's in it. juan pierre hit extremely well in his 50 game stint, but will promptly find the bench tonight when manny comes back. baseball is cruel, i suppose. LA split a four game series at SD to start the season.
Manny set for return as Dodgers face PadsManny Ramirez's much-anticipated return to Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup won't come at home, but close enough to it that his reception might not be entirely negative.
The dreadlocked slugger returns after serving a 50-game suspension for violating baseball's drug policy Friday night in the opener of a three-game road series against the San Diego Padres.
Petco Park is expected to be sold out with plenty of Dodger fans making the roughly two-hour drive south to see the return of one of the majors' best and most enigmatic players. That support could counter the expected boos from the home fans who are eager to taunt Ramirez.
"I think the Dodger-Padre series down here always brings a little bit more energy but I think this will be heightened because of Manny, because he is one of the true lightning rods in the game today," San Diego manager Bud Black said.
Ramirez was hitting .348 with six homers and 20 RBIs in 27 games when he was suspended on May 7. There was evidence Ramirez used human chorionic gonadotropin, a fertility drug that's banned by baseball, a person familiar with the suspension told The Associated Press.
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