Bigbie to miss time with stress fracture

JUPITER, Fla. -- Considering the alternative, outfielder Larry Bigbie isn't too disappointed about his latest setback.

The competition for the St. Louis Cardinals' vacant left field job got a little less crowded on Friday with Bigbie expected to be sidelined two to three weeks with a stress fracture of his left foot. But if he had tried to keep playing, Bigbie said he could have been out four months.

"They say if I was to go out and play through it, it's just a matter of time before it's a complete fracture," Bigbie said. "I guess if there is one positive about it, they caught it kind of early."

Bigbie, 28, was acquired from the Colorado Rockies in the offseason to compete for the job opening created when Reggie Sanders took a free-agent deal with the Royals. It had been anticipated that the left-handed hitting Bigbie and So Taguchi could share the position.

Bigbie missed time with a strained Achilles tendon late last season and has been on the disabled list four times since 2003.

Bigbie is batting .231 with two doubles and two RBIs in 26 at-bats this spring.

-- AP