Monday, May 14, 2001
Griffey out another 3-4 weeks
By Chris Haft
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Injured center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. is eligible to come off the disabled list today, but won't be activated. In fact, the Reds said Sunday that Griffey probably won't be back for three or four weeks.
Griffey has entered a crucial stage in his rehabilitation which could determine how soon he returns to the Reds' lineup.
“I would say the next 10 days are going to be very important for us,” Reds medical director Dr. Tim Kremchek said.
Kremchek said Griffey, who's sidelined by a partial tear in his left hamstring, will increase and intensify his running and his weightlifting.
The 11-time All-Star then will undergo strength testing this weekend or early the following week. If the results are encouraging, Griffey will engage in more baseball activities, such as shagging flies and taking batting practice.
“If he has really improved, we're looking at three or four weeks (until he) returns to the team,” Kremchek said. “It could be a little sooner than that; it could be a little longer than that. A lot of it's going to depend on how he responds to all of these things.”
Griffey's workouts with therapist Lonnie Soloff have grown from 2 1/2 to 3 1/4 hours.
“You start looking at things a little differently when you're out of the lineup,” Griffey said. “Not being able to contribute the way I'd like is frustrating. But I think I've kept my composure by not strangling Lonnie this week or any oth er week.”
Griffey probably will miss more games this year than in any other besides 1995, when a fractured left wrist sidelined him for 2 1/2 months. Griffey said he never thought he'd be out for this long after he hurt his hamstring March 26.
“I was doing things (at the end of) spring training — backwards running, things like that,” Griffey said. “I didn't have the speed I'd like to have, but I was getting better and better.”
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Griffey out another 3-4 weeks
