Griffey's season over due to high groin strain
SAN FRANCISCO -- Ken Griffey Jr. will miss the rest of the season because of a strained groin, the latest in a string of injuries to Cincinnati's All-Star outfielder.
Griffey left Wednesday night's game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in the eighth inning after injuring himself while fielding a ball in right field. As he started to make a throw, Griffey stopped in pain and had to underhand the ball back to the infield before falling to the ground.
The Reds originally announced the injury as a strained lower abdomen, and Griffey returned to Cincinnati be examined. On Thursday, the team said he was diagnosed with a high groin strain and will be examined again in four weeks.
\"He's done,\" manager Pete Mackanin said before the opener of a four-game series at San Francisco. \"It's a season-ending injury, but it could have been worse. It's not the worst-case scenario, so we're happy about that.\"
Griffey hit .277 this year with 30 homers and 93 RBIs, playing 144 games -- his highest total since 2000. He was an All-Star for the first time since 2004 and the 13th time overall, and he moved up to sixth on the career home run list with 593.
Had this injury happened earlier in the season, Griffey could have come back, Mackanin said.
\"But there's no reason to do it now,\" Mackanin said. \"The outfield, it can be improved upon at Wrigley Field. I'm not blaming his injury on that, but it's not one of the better surfaces in the league.\"
The 37-year-old Griffey has been on the disabled list eight times since 2000, missing nearly a month early in the 2006 season because of swelling behind his right knee and sitting out 22 of the last 24 games after dislocating a toe.
His playing time also has been limited by torn hamstrings, a torn knee tendon, a dislocated shoulder and a torn ankle tendon. He broke his left hand in an accident at home last December.
Buck Coats drew the start in right field in place of Griffey on Thursday night, while Mackanin also planned to use utilityman Jeff Keppinger in the outfield along with little-used Jason Ellison.
Also Thursday, Cincinnati recalled RHP Homer Bailey from Class A Sarasota.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
