Ox’ top starters on disabled list

Bangor Blue Ox players are continuing to do the disabled list shuffle.

First baseman Gabe Duross came off it last week and starting pitcher Mo Christmas went on. Christmas said his injury may sideline him for the rest of the year.

Christmas left the game early in his last start, against Albany on Aug. 3, after complaining he had lost feeling in two fingers on his pitching hand.

“That situation doesn’t look good. We’ll see what happens at the end of the week,” said Bangor manager Roger LaFrancois.

The 23-year-old lefthander saw a doctor Monday afternoon and found out he has an inflamed ulnar nerve in his throwing arm.

“He told me it may get better, but chances are it will keep flaring up,” said Christmas.

Bangor’s top starter (6-4, 3.64 ERA) is using electrical stimulus on his arm and is hoping rest will allow him to pitch again this season, although he admitted he might be done for the season.

“I’m probably out for the year. We’re going to see how it feels Wednesday,” said Christmas, who led the Northeast League in wins earlier this season when he was 6-1.

“They said I could have a cortisone shot, but where it’s in the elbow, I didn’t want that. Cortisone only dulls the pain and I’m only 23. I didn’t want to take a chance on making it worse,” he added.

Duross spent time on the DL resting his right knee. The former University of Maine Black Bear is playing with a partial tear of the anterior cruciate ligament and plans to have offseason surgery to correct the problem.

In the meantime, lefthander Andy High, another starting pitcher, remains on the DL with a back problem.

Jamie Davis, High’s Campbell College teammate, is having better luck. The righthander from Vermont appears to have a hold on the bullpen closer’s job.

Although it was only his second save of the season, Sunday night’s against Waterbury was impressive since Davis had to retire the Northeast League’s RBI leader with two outs and a runner on second.

After the Blue turned a 4-3 deficit into a 5-4 lead in the top of the ninth, Davis was called on to protect the slim lead.

Leadoff hitter Mike Pagana reached base on an error, but Davis kept his composure. Pagana went to second on a sacrifice bunt, but the next batter was retired on a flyout.

Up came Tom Russin, who has driven in 67 runs this season. Davis retired him on a called third strike.

“Since we’ve moved him to the bullpen, his ERA’s been 1.50 or something like that. It’s been a good move. I probably should have done it sooner,” said LaFrancois. “His appearance makes you think he’s got that closer mentality.”

Davis, who has been something of a power pitcher since he joined the Blue Ox last year in spring training, was demoted to the bullpen after a shaky first half in the starting rotation.

“I think what’s helped him is he doesn’t feel like he has to save anything for later in the game,” said Bangor general manager Josh Gordon. “Now he can just go out there and give it all he’s got.”

After a seven-game tryout, infielder Stephane Dionne was cut loose by the Bangor Blue Ox during their last homestand. At the same time, the Ox signed Vermont native Willie Kingsbury.

Kingsbury, who has been used as backup catcher and first baseman, was playing in the Boston Red Sox minor league system with the Class A Lowell Spinners before being released this summer.

The Northeast League set an attendance record Saturday. The new mark of 322,545 fans (through Saturday) broke the previous mark of 320,417, set last season.

NEL executive director Mike McGuire explained that the record was not influenced by the addition of two teams because last year’s mark was figured using the 1996 attendance figures of the two new teams – Catskill (N.Y.) and Massachusetts – in their old leagues.