Dykstra, Daulton Seriously Injured in Auto Accident : Phillies: Alcohol-related crash leaves center fielder with several broken bones and punctured lung. Catcher has fracture above left eye, scratched cornea.

All-Star center fielder Lenny Dykstra and catcher Darren Daulton of the Philadelphia Phillies were seriously injured in an alcohol-related automobile accident early Monday morning.

Dykstra suffered a broken right cheekbone, a broken right collarbone and three broken ribs, according to a spokeswoman at Bryn Mawr Hospital in suburban Philadelphia. A broken rib punctured a lung and his heart was bruised.

He was put on the 60-day disabled list and will be out a minimum of two months, according to Phillip Marone, the Phillies’ team physician.

Daulton suffered a fracture above the left eye and a scratched cornea, which is not expected to affect his vision, Marone said. He was put on the 15-day disabled list, although he is expected to be out considerably longer.

“If they don’t go to church, they better start, because they are very lucky to be alive,” Marone said of Dykstra and Daulton.

The accident occurred at about 1 a.m., according to Radnor Township police, when Dykstra lost control of his 1991 Mercedes roadster and spun across a dry road, where the car struck a tree and was virtually demolished. Police were still unsure how fast Dykstra was driving in the 35-m.p.h. zone.

The players were returning from a bachelor party for teammate John Kruk and were about three blocks from Daulton’s home when the accident happened. They were not wearing seat belts,according to police, and the air bag did not inflate because the car hit the tree from the side.

Henry Jansen, acting police chief of Radnor Township, said Dykstra will be charged with drunk driving, tests having determined that he exceeded the state’s legal blood-alcohol limit of 0.10%. Jansen refused to give Dykstra’s percentage.

General Manager Lee Thomas of the Phillies said his immediate concern was for the welfare of the players.

“Your first thought is, ‘My God, I hope they’re all right,’ ” he said. “Then the frustration sets in and you tend to ask, ‘Why didn’t they have their seat belts on? Why didn’t they have someone else drive? Why didn’t they call a cab?

“You lose two of your best players and you have to be concerned about the mental impact on the team, but right now my thoughts are on Lenny and Darren.

“I’m praying they get through this OK.”

Dykstra, the gritty leadoff hitter from Garden Grove High who batted .325 with 192 hits last year, was batting .302 with an on-base percentage of .422 and a league-leading total of 23 runs.

He will be replaced in center field and the leadoff role by Von Hayes, who was benched for two of three weekend games with the Dodgers because of a .171 start and no home runs.

Catcher Darrin Fletcher, a former Dodger, was recalled to replace Daulton, who was hitting .192. Last year was his best season. He hit .268 with 12 homers and 57 runs batted in.

Commissioner Fay Vincent said he was disturbed by the accident and concerned about the welfare of the players. He would not discuss the alcohol issue or the possibility of discipline.

“I was very sorry to learn of the serious injuries,” he said. “The only proper concern is for the well-being of the players.”

Dykstra signed a contract extension last year that guarantees him $7.3 million though 1993. Daulton, a free agent, returned to the Phillies with a three-year, $6-million contract.

It is unlikely that the contracts could be voided, even if it could be proven that the injuries stemmed from negligence, although Thomas said it may be a subject the club will investigate--but not immediately.

“We want Lenny and Darren back and 100%,” he said. “We’re not thinking about anything else right now.”