A BROKEN LINEUP : Dodgers Will Be Without Griffin for at Least a Month

Life without Alfredo Griffin, only in its infancy, has yet to really affect the Dodgers. On Sunday, there was no blatant degeneration of the defense and no immediate morale decay without the club’s shortstop and leader in the lineup.

In the days to come, however, the Dodgers figure to greatly miss Griffin, who had a bone in his right hand broken Saturday night after being hit with a Dwight Gooden fastball.

Dave Anderson started at shortstop in Sunday’s game against the New York Mets, and Manager Tom Lasorda said Anderson will be his starter. Mike Sharperson, recalled from Albuquerque Sunday, and Jeff Hamilton will be the backups.

Griffin was hitting just .167 at the time of his injury, but he had only 3 errors in 38 games and provided leadership to the infield.

Is Griffin virtually irreplaceable in a Dodger lineup otherwise not known for fielding excellence?

“I don’t want to put it in that phrase, but we’re losing a very tough man,” Lasorda said. “He was the stabilizer of our defense. He did all the intangible things that you don’t see in the stats. He’s helped Pete (Guerrero, at third base), (Steve) Sax at second and he’s made (Mike) Marshall a more aggressive fielder (at first base).

“But we must go forth and battle. We can’t stop because he’s not playing.”

One of the reasons the Dodgers acquired Griffin was his durability. He had played in all 162 games in 4 of the 6 seasons. He missed 18 games last season with a sprained ligament in his left thumb, but he said this was his first broken bone of his 10-year career.

“It’s really disappointing,” said Fred Claire, the Dodgers’ executive vice president. “I feel bad for Alfredo. But good teams come back from something like this. And this is a good team. Alfredo will be back. Until then, we will carry on.”

The Dodgers can expect to live without Griffin for at least a month, maybe longer.

Griffin will be examined this morning by Dr. Charles Ashworth, a hand specialist, in Los Angeles to determine the severity of the fracture and the treatment.

It is possible that Griffin would have to undergo corrective surgery to insert a pin in his hand. That is the worst-case scenario, one that would sideline Griffin for considerably longer than a month.

“We’ll have to wait until Dr. Ashworth determines what needs to be done,” Pat Screnar, the Dodgers’ physical therapist, said. “He could keep wearing the splint, or put it in a cast or surgery, although we don’t know anything yet.”

Griffin’s fracture is to a long bone between the base of the index finger and the wrist. Dodger trainers described the injury as a non-displaced fracture, meaning the fractured ends of the bone have not moved out of alignment.

Late Saturday night, the Dodgers announced they had put Griffin on the 21-day disabled list. But they said Sunday that he has been put on the 15-day list.

Griffin, still upset over getting hit by a Gooden fastball, was even more upset about being hurt. It is a new situation for him. Griffin speculated that he would be out three weeks, but acknowledged that it could be longer.

“I’m not used to this,” Griffin said. “I don’t think (Gooden) did it on purpose, but I don’t know what goes through his mind. The game is 4-0 in the sixth inning, and you don’t expect a pitch like that.”

Anderson, meanwhile, had appeared in 22 games but had only 15 at-bats before his start Sunday.

“I don’t think I’ve played enough to be sharp right now,” Anderson said. “But I don’t think I’ll hurt us. I’m adequate (defensively). I’m not an Alfredo Griffin, but I can go out there and make the routine plays.”