Manny Ramirez was shut down for a week because of recurring tightness at the base of his left hamstring, a condition that is believed to have resulted from all the extra running he did in an effort to make up for missing the first three weeks of spring training.
The matter wasn't of grave concern to club officials, and Ramirez returned to action March 23. Playing as the designated hitter against the Angels, he struck out twice and finished 0-for-3. In his second game back, March 24 against the Mariners, he hit a home run. He returned to the outfield March 25 for the first time since injuring his left hamstring, and he ran without incident in left field.
Ramirez began light running and agility drills March 19 and increased the intensity of that running March 20 to what a member of the Dodgers' medical staff estimated was "75-80 percent." The main worry wasn't whether the injury was serious but whether Ramirez can get back in the lineup quickly enough to get the requisite number of plate appearances he needs to be ready for the start of the regular season.
For now, that seems to be more of a concern for Ramirez than it is for Torre.
"I need a whole spring training to see pitching, get my timing down and get ready for the season," Ramirez said. "But the main thing is to get healthy."
Even as Ramirez said he wasn't frustrated, Torre acknowledged that Ramirez probably is.
"But he understands," Torre said. "I told him if he plays a week or 10 days of baseball games, and I told him it probably will be more than that, then he should be fine. I think he is fine with that. He feels like he wants to play, but his body is telling him otherwise whenever he tries to assert himself (physically)."
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