NewsFriars' Gonzalez shrugs off knee strain
Slugger returns to lineup a day after leaving early
By Amy Brittain / MLB.com
07/01/09 9:11 PM ET
SAN DIEGO -- Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez chose to keep a simple approach on Wednesday while fielding questions about a mild knee strain suffered a night earlier against the Astros. How did his knee feel this morning? "I'm in the lineup," Gonzalez answered. What tests were performed on his knee? "I'm in the lineup," Gonzalez answered. How does he feel about being in the lineup? "I'm in the lineup," Gonzalez answered, smirking. Point taken. Gonzalez undoubtedly wanted to move beyond the rampant chatter concerning his fourth-inning departure on Tuesday after he tweaked his right knee sliding into third base on a triple. Gonzalez remained at third for several pitches before manager Bud Black and trainer Todd Hutcheson headed to the field to have a look. Kyle Blanks then replaced Gonzalez and played first base for the remainder of the game. "If my knee was really bad, I would have said something right off the bat," Gonzalez said. "But it probably helped it for me to come out." Gonzalez said he felt "a little pain" Wednesday morning that continually eased as the day progressed. "I ran around the training room in front of [Black] and showed him I could play," Gonzalez said. Black said he chose to remove Gonzalez from the game as a precautionary measure after sensing some uneasiness and concern. "We got some good news this morning from Adrian, the horse's mouth. He said he was much improved from last night," Black said. "We'll double check for sure once he hits and takes his ground balls and does his early work. "We suspect everything is fine. He's ready to go. He wants to play. You can't keep a good man down."Amy Brittain is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
