SARASOTA, Fla. – Ken Griffey Jr. still walked with a limp
Wednesday, but his strained left hamstring was much better during a
workout at the Cincinnati Reds' training complex.
The Reds are still hopeful that their center fielder could be
ready to play on Opening Day next Monday. He'll miss the rest of
the spring training games to get treatment.
"There was definitely a marked improvement over yesterday,"
assistant trainer Mark Mann said. "There was less soreness, less
swelling. He was able to tolerate some additional exercises. He did
a lot more stretching, and he did well."
Griffey pulled the bottom part of the hamstring when he slipped
while rounding third base in a game Monday. He tore the upper part
of the same hamstring last September and was bothered by it early
in spring training.
Mann said there was no way to tell when Griffey might try
jogging. His progress will depend upon how the leg responds to each
day of therapy.
Reliever Scott Sullivan, sidelined by a sore back, threw off a
mound for a few minutes on Wednesday without problem. Sullivan
hasn't appeared in a game since Saturday, when the back tightened
up on the mound.
Sullivan led the majors in relief innings each of the past three
seasons and is a key component of the Reds' bullpen. They'll wait
to see how his back reacts to the workout Wednesday.
"Toward the end of the session, he said there was a little
stiffness but it was a marked improvement," Mann said. "The big
indicator will be how he feels tomorrow."
Manager Bob Boone moved Scott Williamson back into the bullpen
on Tuesday in part because of the uncertainty over Sullivan's back.
Williamson had hoped for a spot in the starting rotation.
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