SARASOTA, Fla. – Ken Griffey Jr. won't play for the rest of
spring training and his status for Opening Day is in doubt.
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The Cincinnati Reds won't know for a few more days whether
Griffey's pulled hamstring amounts to a minor setback or a problem
that could linger for a few weeks.
Griffey pulled his left hamstring while rounding third base
Monday and had to be helped off the field. The leg was swollen on
Tuesday, when he got several hours of treatment.
Dr. Timothy Kremchek said it's the type of injury that is
difficult to gauge in the first few days. The Reds expect to have a
better idea by the weekend whether Griffey will be available for
the season opener Monday.
"We're not looking at putting him on the disabled list,"
Kremchek said. "Right now, I truly believe there's a possibility
he'll play on Opening Day. We're going to do everything we can to
get him in the best shape we possibly can.
"On the other hand, we're not going to do something that's
going to allow him to rehurt himself on Opening Day, just to play
that one particular game."
The major concern now is that the hamstring injury will turn
into a lingering problem that limits him for much of the season.
Griffey never had hamstring problems until last year. The left
hamstring was sore much of the season, and he didn't start again
after partially tearing it Sept. 11. It was sore in the same
spot when spring training started, but had gotten better in the
last two weeks.
He strained the lower part of the hamstring when he slipped
Monday in a 3-2 loss to Kansas City. He crumbled to the ground and
didn't put any weight on the leg as he was helped off the field.
"I think what happened yesterday was a freak injury," Kremchek
said. "He went around third base pretty hard and he slipped and
aggravated the hamstring. It could have been any player at any
time."
Griffey kept playing with the sore hamstring last season and
eventually tore it. The Reds don't want the latest injury to turn
into another long-term problem.
"We hope we've nipped this in the bud and it won't be a
lingering thing," Kremchek said. "But hamstrings are
unpredictable."
Ruben Rivera, signed last week as a free agent, is one of
several outfielders who will get a chance to fill in for the rest
of spring training. Rivera went 2-for-4 Tuesday with a homer in a
10-3 loss to Texas. He also made a nice throw to third base as a
runner tagged on a fly to medium center field.
"He's probably in the Griffey class in fielding," manager Bob
Boone said. "That was a little peek at his arm."
The challenge is to get him to hit. Rivera, 27, has a .211
career average in six seasons with the New York Yankees and the San
Diego Padres, who let him go earlier this month.
Boone also plans to use Michael Tucker and Donnie Sadler in the
outfield the rest of the week. Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
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