SS Alex Gonzalez, who was described as smooth by Dusty Baker, left the game with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday with a strained right hamstring after beating out an infield hit.
Gonzalez missed the entire spring and regular season last year with a compression fracture in his left knee. The Reds were moving slowly with the key to the roster. His presence or lack thereof will have a profound effect on the roster.
In addition to making plays that few other shortsops can make in the field, Gonzalez has hit well enough. He hit an infield single to short in the second inning to raise his average to .250 (6-24) with two doubles.
"He looks good doesn't he?" Baker said Sunday. "He wanted to play nine innings Saturday but we told him, not yet. He has been running. His baseball instincts are there. It is a good sign that he wanted to play nine. It is also a good sign that he's been taking the extra base. When you don't feel good, you don't run."
There was no defect in the muscle but Gonzalez went to Miami to consult his personal therapist.
"It was what I was afraid of," Baker said. "I had a knee injury and when I was recovering I favored it. I ended up tearing the hamstring in my other leg. This isn't as serious. He didn't grab it. I'm glad he stopped running though."
"I saw the shortstop dive for the ball so I tried to get an extra step. That's when it grabbed me." Gonzalez said.
He is day-to-day.
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