Leg injury puts Griffey back on DL
Ken Griffey Jr. said Tuesday that he agreed to go on the 15-day disabled list to let his leg heal fully and to help the Cincinnati Reds with a roster predicament.
The team wanted to put the 36-year-old outfielder on the disabled list Monday night after a medical test found an inflamed tendon behind his right knee. Griffey had missed five games at that point.
Griffey went along even though he should be ready to play before he’s eligible to return in 10 days. The move gave the Reds an opening to activate catcher Jason LaRue off the disabled list.
LaRue, who had knee surgery during spring training, was activated and rejoined the team.
“Certain things work good for the player and good for the team,” Griffey said after a long batting practice session. “It’s a mutual decision on what we needed at the time – they needed a spot for LaRue and things like that. So it’s beneficial for both of us.”
It’s the eighth time in the last six years that an injury has landed Griffey on the disabled list. This injury is considered the least serious of the bunch.
Griffey irritated the tendon while chasing a fly ball during batting practice in Chicago last week. The leg was improving, allowing Griffey to take batting practice and run without problem.
He had hoped to be back in the lineup some time this week. When the Reds raised the possibility of the disabled list, Griffey figured the move might be in his best interest as well.
“It’s just one of those things that it’s there, you know it’s there, and I just don’t want to get to the point where I’m out for a longer period of time because I did something else trying to compensate for it,” Griffey said. “This way, (we) get it done, get it over with and I look forward to May.”
Nationals GM Bowden arrested
Washington Nationals general manager Jim Bowden was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after allegedly running a stop sign while in Florida during his team’s series against the Marlins last weekend.
A few minutes before he was stopped, Bowden and his girlfriend were apparently involved in a physical altercation that left him with scratches and resulted in battery and resisting arrest charges against her.
A Miami Beach police report said the 44-year-old Bowden refused to take a breath-alcohol test after he was stopped at 2:22 a.m. Monday. An officer said he saw Bowden run the stop sign on Collins Avenue, a main thoroughfare in the South Beach neighborhood. He failed field sobriety tests and was arrested, the report said.
Clearing the bases
The Baltimore Orioles recalled outfielder Val Majewski from Triple-A Ottawa to replace David Newhan, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a broken right leg. … The Colorado Rockies placed right-hander Sunny Kim on the 15-day disabled list with a contusion in his right shin and activated right-hander Scott Dohmann (viral infection) from the disabled list.