Knee issue cause for Aramis' early departure

MILWAUKEE -- Brewers third baseman Aramis Ramirez, who has battled a left knee problem all season, exited Saturday's 7-6 win over the Mets after making a terrific defensive play in the fifth inning.

Ramirez dove to his left to prevent what would have been a run-scoring hit for Mets counterpart David Wright, then popped up and made a throw to first base that ended the inning. But televisions cameras showed Ramirez limping in the dugout while the Brewers batted in the bottom of the inning, and he was replaced in the sixth by Yuniesky Betancourt.

"He was pretty sore in the knee, to the point where he wasn't moving around as good as he should be," said Brewers manager Ron Roenicke, who indicated Ramirez was hurting before his dive in the fifth. "So we needed to get him out there."

The Brewers were leading, 5-2, at the time of Ramirez's exit. If the recent pattern continues, he will sit out Sunday's afternoon series finale.

After going 0-for-2 with a walk Saturday, Ramirez's average stands at .271, with five home runs and 26 RBIs. His production has been hampered this season because of the troublesome knee, which Ramirez sprained in early March and again in early April, necessitating a month-long stay on the disabled list. Since returning, Roenicke has carefully controlled Ramirez's playing time.