Padres Notebook: Klesko's return from freak injury unknown

By: BRIAN HIRO - Staff Writer | Saturday, May 1, 2004 10:00 PM PDT ∞

SAN DIEGO ---- Reaching out for a helping hand has cost Ryan Klesko at least a couple of games and maybe more.

The injury that caused the Padres' left fielder to leave Friday night's game in the second inning was diagnosed as a combination of a strain and spasm on the right oblique muscle. Klesko missed Saturday night's game against the New York Mets, and he will also sit out Sunday before the Padres get Monday off and then start a six-game road trip.

No determination has been made as to whether Klesko, who's hitting .278 and is tied for the team lead with 14 RBIs, will be placed on the disabled list.

"It's too soon to tell," Padres assistant trainer Jim Daniel said. "We're going to re-evaluate him (Sunday) to see where he's at, and we'll have a better handle on which way he's going to go after two days."

Klesko hurt himself not during Friday's pregame stretching routine, as he had said, but after it, when a teammate grabbed his outstretched hand to pull him up from the ground.

"It was a freak injury," Daniel said. "You don't expect somebody to get hurt getting up after stretching. There was no real movement involved, no twist, no overstretch of the muscle. We're hoping that the spasms were actually a good sign, that the muscle didn't pull apart and strain.

In part because of his long, violent swing, Klesko has a history of minor tweaks of his back and rib cage, Daniel said.

"He's a guy who puts so much torque on his torso and is so strong that he puts a lot abuse on his body," he said. "So we're not overly concerned at this time."

Ground rules

The Padres and Mets combined to hit three doubles in Friday's game, and all three of them bounced off the dirt warning track and over the wall for the ground-rule variety.

Several other ground-rule doubles have been hit at Petco Park.

"(The ground is) hard," Padres manager Bruce Bochy said. "You can tell it's hard. What we might end up doing is try to soften it up a little bit. It's a pretty big warning track, too.

"I don't think it's an issue right now. It's the first month. The fence actually is fairly high (7 feet, 6 inches in most spots). If all year we're seeing these balls bouncing out, then we'll make an adjustment."

Center fielder Jay Payton, who sees the warning track up close every game, agreed with his manager.

"It's a little hard," he said. "I think it will loosen up, or we just have to hit the ball farther. Bottom line is, both teams have to deal with it. It's fair."

Short hop

Both SS Khalil Greene and RHP Akinori Otsuka are strong candidates for National League Rookie of the Month honors. Who would manager Bruce Bochy pick if he had a vote? "It would be a tough call," he said. "They'd be co-winners. They both had great months."