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Pena Will Play Friday

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 5, 2009

PORT CHARLOTTE - In typical Carlos Pena fashion, the slugger insisted Wednesday that sitting out the first week or so of spring training games as he recovers from January abdominal surgery has actually taught him quite a bit.

"I've taken advantage of the time, and I've learned a lot about muscles that I didn't even know I had and how to take care of them," Pena said. "Now I feel like I'm in better shape because my core is in better shape - my lower back, my lower abdominals, my hip flexors, my adductors. You never go to the gym and say, 'I'm going to work on my adductor.'"

Beginning Friday, Pena will be able to worry less about his adductors and more about getting ready for the season. He'll make his first appearance of the spring against the Pirates in Bradenton, playing first base and batting cleanup. And despite everything he has learned about his body since having a pair of abdominal tears repaired two months ago, he would just as soon get back to baseball.

"I'm really happy about the fact that I'm going to be able to go out there and join the team and play and be in the dugout with the guys and just participate," he said. "I'm going to definitely enjoy that."

PERCIVAL PROGRESSES

Closer Troy Percival got his first crack at hitters this spring by throwing a live batting practice session Wednesday afternoon and pitching coach Jim Hickey came away pleasantly surprised.

"It didn't super-surprise me, because I know how he is," said Hickey, "but for his first batting practice, he was more advanced, really, than he even needs to be."

Percival threw 30 pitches in the 10-minute session on the back fields and went through a version of the routine pitchers' fielding practice afterward with trainer Ron Porterfield. The best news as far as the Rays were concerned was that Percival came through it fine physically as he continues to recover from offseason back surgery.

"He looked today like he looked prior to all the little nagging injuries and things that he had," Hickey said.

Percival remains on track to make his first Grapefruit League appearance March 12.

BURRELL GETS SOME TIME

Originally slated to start Wednesday night's game against Puerto Rico as the DH, Pat Burrell was scratched after fouling a ball off his foot in Tuesday's game. Burrell said shortly before game time in the clubhouse that his foot felt fine, but he won't see the field again until next week.

The delay has nothing to do with his health; Burrell is flying to California today to take part in his sister's wedding over the weekend in San Francisco. He said he expects to return to camp Monday.

STILL IN THE PICTURE

With the Rays' front-line pitchers set to begin seeing action this weekend, there will be fewer innings to go around for the guys who have held down the fort to this point - Jason Hammel, Jeff Niemann, Mitch Talbot, Carlos Hernandez and Wade Davis. However, that group will still get its chance to lobby for a job as the regulars build up their innings.

For instance, James Shields will throw two innings Saturday against the Red Sox, but Hammel is slated to follow him with four innings. Niemann will similarly back up Scott Kazmir on Monday against the Twins. Davis will start Sunday's road game against Boston, allowing him to work four or five innings.

WEDNESDAY'S GAME

RHP Mitch Talbot worked out of some jams and allowed just one run in his four innings of work. It was his most effective outing yet, but Puerto Rico's lineup hit a number of balls hard against him. ... Adam Kennedy drove in the Rays' first run by dropping down a two-out bunt in the fifth - his idea, not the coaching staff's. Fernando Perez came in to score after walking, stealing second and hustling up to third on a groundout to third. ... Manager Joe Maddon singled out RHP Winston Abreu for a nice inning of relief. He made Ivan Rodriguez look bad on a strikeout. ... Puerto Rico leadoff man Bernie Williams received a hearty round of applause each time he came to the plate and when he was replaced by a pinch-runner in the fifth.

Marc Lancaster

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