Baseball Guru
03-04-2004, 04:54 PM
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/nym/news/nym_news.jsp?ymd=20040303&content_id=644626&vkey=spt2004news&fext=.jsp
Mets slugger out until Friday with slight muscle strain
By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com Ticket information
Mets drop opener in Dodgertown
VERO BEACH, Fla. -- Mike Piazza sat out Wednesday's exhibition opener against the Dodgers after suffering a minor leg injury during fielding drills Tuesday afternoon.
The injury, a slight cramp/muscle strain in his upper left leg, is not considered serious and is not related to the severely torn right groin Piazza suffered last May. Still, he did not make the trip to Dodgertown and is expected to miss at least two days of work.
"I felt what I thought was a cramp or something grabbing," Piazza said. "It really didn't feel like a pull or anything. And I came in this morning and said I'm ready to play. I think it was just from running around.
"I went for a stretch on a throw and it kind of grabbed and it was like the second to last throw of the workout. That's the most frustrating thing. I came in this morning and it feels better and I told [Mets manager] Art [Howe] I can catch but he said no."
Piazza played first base in Tuesday's intrasquad game in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and then went to a side field with infield coach Matt Galante to take grounders. Near the end of the session, Piazza felt his leg cramp up and spent time getting treatment afterwards.
"We're not concerned because he felt fine [Wednesday]," general manager Jim Duquette said. "It's just something we have to keep an eye on. The only area of concern is that it's in the same general area where he was hurt last year."
Piazza had mentioned earlier in the week that he was beginning to feel tired, likely a result of all the extra work he has been doing. Duquette said at this point the club is still evaluating his work schedule and could perhaps modify the type of work he was doing rather than the amount.
"It's more of a subjective call between the coaches and Mike," Duquette said. "If he feels like he's dragging or if he's tired then they have to come to an understanding if they haven't already. When we put down a plan, we knew it would be fluid and changing based on how he's feeling."
Piazza took batting practice at Tradition Field on Wednesday, stretched and went through throwing drills, afterward indicating that there was a slight irritation in his leg.
"We're shooting for Friday," Piazza said about a potential return to full duties.
That Piazza would have a muscular problem as a result of stretching to haul in a throw is curious. He continues to make a point of how he worked on his body's core this winter and how he continues to work on new and different stretching exercises. He even hired a yoga instructor to help him become more limber.
Piazza indicated that the problem might have arisen as a result of dehydration. That too is surprising considering that the yoga instructor has been following him around from field to field this spring, constantly providing him with a home-made concoction of apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, flaxseed oil and cayenne pepper.
Last season's injury limited Piazza to 68 games and 11 homers. He finished the year riding a career-high homerless streak of 88 at-bats.
Matsui mania: Mets shortstop Kaz Matsui remains sidelined with a lacerated finger and also did not play in Wednesday's exhibition opener prompting some of the many Japanese fans at Holman Field to raise signs that read "Get Well Kazuo." The numerous Japanese reporters in attendance were eager to see Matsui face Los Angeles starter Hideo Nomo but came away disappointed because Matsui remained on the bench for most of the game.
At one point, however, Matsui did leave the dugout to venture down to the right field bullpen for a photo-op with Norihiro Nakamura, the Japanese third baseman currently working out with the Dodgers. Nakamura plays for the Kintetsu Buffaloes, who have a working agreement with the Dodgers. Nakamura is being allowed to participate in Spring Training with the Dodgers as part of his rehabilitation for knee surgery. He and Matsui were very close friends in Japan.
Team doctors cleared Matsui to begin taking grounders on Thursday.
According to plan: While the Mets came up on the short end of a 13-4 score Wednesday, the first inning went exactly how the Mets envisioned the offense would look this winter.
Jose Reyes got things started by lining Nomo's first offering to right-center and stretching it into a double. Cliff Floyd followed by cracking a run-scoring double to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. That Mike Cameron followed two batters later with his first homer of the spring was a bonus.
"That's the way it's supposed to be," Floyd said. "That's the type of havoc we talked about up top and we still have to get Matsui back. We get him on base and we'll be manufacturing runs. That's exactly how the season has to go for us to score runs.
"With the top of our lineup and me starting to run, we're going to steal some bases. And when we get Mike in there, I can't wait. The main thing is that we have to make sure we're out there healthy all the time."
This and that: The Mets raised $2,800 during a pair of intrasquad workouts this week, splitting the proceeds between the Brian Cole Scholarship Fund and the Sean Kimmerling Foundation. ... Reyes turned his first double play, taking a throw from Braden Looper and firing to first in the fourth inning. The only problem was that there seemed to be a communication problem as to who would take the throw between Reyes and shortstop Joe McEwing. ... Ty Wigginton had a pair of hits, including a homer, and an RBI. ... Third baseman David Wright picked up his first official hit of the spring, a pinch-hit single. ... Pedro Feliciano and Royce Ring each pitched a scoreless inning in relief.
Mets slugger out until Friday with slight muscle strain
By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com Ticket information
Mets drop opener in Dodgertown
VERO BEACH, Fla. -- Mike Piazza sat out Wednesday's exhibition opener against the Dodgers after suffering a minor leg injury during fielding drills Tuesday afternoon.
The injury, a slight cramp/muscle strain in his upper left leg, is not considered serious and is not related to the severely torn right groin Piazza suffered last May. Still, he did not make the trip to Dodgertown and is expected to miss at least two days of work.
"I felt what I thought was a cramp or something grabbing," Piazza said. "It really didn't feel like a pull or anything. And I came in this morning and said I'm ready to play. I think it was just from running around.
"I went for a stretch on a throw and it kind of grabbed and it was like the second to last throw of the workout. That's the most frustrating thing. I came in this morning and it feels better and I told [Mets manager] Art [Howe] I can catch but he said no."
Piazza played first base in Tuesday's intrasquad game in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and then went to a side field with infield coach Matt Galante to take grounders. Near the end of the session, Piazza felt his leg cramp up and spent time getting treatment afterwards.
"We're not concerned because he felt fine [Wednesday]," general manager Jim Duquette said. "It's just something we have to keep an eye on. The only area of concern is that it's in the same general area where he was hurt last year."
Piazza had mentioned earlier in the week that he was beginning to feel tired, likely a result of all the extra work he has been doing. Duquette said at this point the club is still evaluating his work schedule and could perhaps modify the type of work he was doing rather than the amount.
"It's more of a subjective call between the coaches and Mike," Duquette said. "If he feels like he's dragging or if he's tired then they have to come to an understanding if they haven't already. When we put down a plan, we knew it would be fluid and changing based on how he's feeling."
Piazza took batting practice at Tradition Field on Wednesday, stretched and went through throwing drills, afterward indicating that there was a slight irritation in his leg.
"We're shooting for Friday," Piazza said about a potential return to full duties.
That Piazza would have a muscular problem as a result of stretching to haul in a throw is curious. He continues to make a point of how he worked on his body's core this winter and how he continues to work on new and different stretching exercises. He even hired a yoga instructor to help him become more limber.
Piazza indicated that the problem might have arisen as a result of dehydration. That too is surprising considering that the yoga instructor has been following him around from field to field this spring, constantly providing him with a home-made concoction of apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, flaxseed oil and cayenne pepper.
Last season's injury limited Piazza to 68 games and 11 homers. He finished the year riding a career-high homerless streak of 88 at-bats.
Matsui mania: Mets shortstop Kaz Matsui remains sidelined with a lacerated finger and also did not play in Wednesday's exhibition opener prompting some of the many Japanese fans at Holman Field to raise signs that read "Get Well Kazuo." The numerous Japanese reporters in attendance were eager to see Matsui face Los Angeles starter Hideo Nomo but came away disappointed because Matsui remained on the bench for most of the game.
At one point, however, Matsui did leave the dugout to venture down to the right field bullpen for a photo-op with Norihiro Nakamura, the Japanese third baseman currently working out with the Dodgers. Nakamura plays for the Kintetsu Buffaloes, who have a working agreement with the Dodgers. Nakamura is being allowed to participate in Spring Training with the Dodgers as part of his rehabilitation for knee surgery. He and Matsui were very close friends in Japan.
Team doctors cleared Matsui to begin taking grounders on Thursday.
According to plan: While the Mets came up on the short end of a 13-4 score Wednesday, the first inning went exactly how the Mets envisioned the offense would look this winter.
Jose Reyes got things started by lining Nomo's first offering to right-center and stretching it into a double. Cliff Floyd followed by cracking a run-scoring double to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. That Mike Cameron followed two batters later with his first homer of the spring was a bonus.
"That's the way it's supposed to be," Floyd said. "That's the type of havoc we talked about up top and we still have to get Matsui back. We get him on base and we'll be manufacturing runs. That's exactly how the season has to go for us to score runs.
"With the top of our lineup and me starting to run, we're going to steal some bases. And when we get Mike in there, I can't wait. The main thing is that we have to make sure we're out there healthy all the time."
This and that: The Mets raised $2,800 during a pair of intrasquad workouts this week, splitting the proceeds between the Brian Cole Scholarship Fund and the Sean Kimmerling Foundation. ... Reyes turned his first double play, taking a throw from Braden Looper and firing to first in the fourth inning. The only problem was that there seemed to be a communication problem as to who would take the throw between Reyes and shortstop Joe McEwing. ... Ty Wigginton had a pair of hits, including a homer, and an RBI. ... Third baseman David Wright picked up his first official hit of the spring, a pinch-hit single. ... Pedro Feliciano and Royce Ring each pitched a scoreless inning in relief.