Baseball - Joe Beimel Apologizes to Teammates

Los Angeles Dodgers left-handed reliever, Joe Beimel, has been removed from the Dodgers' playoff squad after cutting his pitching hand early Tuesday. Originally Beimel claimed he injured himself in his hotel room. But later on, he admitted that in fact he cut it on a broken glass in a New York bar. The cut may be more serious than what is announced. Repko and two other teammates described Beimel’s injury as a serious gash, as opposed to only a cut, after they saw Beimel's injury in the Shea Stadium visitors' clubhouse.

Following the formal public announcement, Beimel apologized to his teammates in an off-media meeting just prior to Dodgers' batting practice before Saturday's Game 3 against the Mets. According to three players who were in the room, Beimel told the team he was sorry for lying to the team about the circumstances of the event.

According to Beimel the accident occurred at 2:30 a.m. or so on Tuesday. He explained that he originally tried to stop the bleeding in the bar's bathroom. But later, at the team hotel, he called one of the Dodgers' trainers to his room. Little, another player, declared Beimel was not supposed to be out at that time. Indeed players are required to be in their rooms at midnight or two hours after a game ends when the team is on the road, although there are no bed checks.

Beimel is a non-team invitee to spring training and was 2-1 with a 2.96 ERA with two saves in 62 games. He figured as the Dodgers' top left-handed reliever and a key setup man against the Mets, who have several good left-handed hitters. Because of the injury, the Dodgers have had to go with Mark Hendrickson, mostly a starter in his career, instead of Beimel