Japanese Club Says Mitchell Faking Pain

While the paid absence of Kevin Mitchell from the lineup was a frequent occurrence in his days as a major leaguer, his Japanese employers are considering the current injury sojourn a violation of his contract.

The Dakei Hawks on Wednesday told Mitchell, who has been missing games with a sore right knee, they will not pay his salary for May because he won’t accept their plan for treatment. Paychecks are due today.

“I won’t play if I don’t get money,” Mitchell said.

The team said doctors believe the injury is not serious enough to sideline Mitchell. The Hawks asked Mitchell to go to a farm team while recovering from a knee injury sustained April 15, but he wants to return to the United States.

“We introduced a good doctor to him,” team president Ryuzo Setoyama said. “It is common sense to make an effort to recover. The pay suspension was a penalty for violation of the contract so far.

“If the case is brought to the court, we are ready to cope with it.”

The Hawks want Mitchell to receive treatment in Japan if he still feels pain. But the team said Mitchell wants treatment in the U.S.

Mitchell said he twisted the knee while catching a fly ball. He sat out the next day’s game, but returned to action April 18 and played until May 7. The club removed him from its 28-man roster May 17.

When the 33-year-old Mitchell signed a one-year contract worth a reported $3.9 million - apparently the largest ever for an American or a Japanese player in Japanese baseball - he was described as a “lump of power” by manager Sadaharu Oh, who had hit 868 home runs in 22 seasons with the Yomiuri Giants.

While the slugging Mitchell hit 211 homers in 11 seasons split among with the New York Mets, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Cincinnati, his recent injury history was not good. Every year since 1990, he has been on the disabled list.In 1992, a strained right rib cage injury limited him to 99 games. In 1993, he showed up late and out of shape for training camp and played in only 93 games. Last year, he was limited to 95 games in the strike-shortened season, but hit .326 with 30 homers and 77 RBIs.

Mitchell was the National League’s MVP with the Giants in 1989, when he had a league-high 47 homers, a league-high 125 RBIs and hit .291.

Mitchell debuted in Japan with two home runs in his opening game. He is hitting .247 with six home runs in 28 games.