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Injuries hurting Repko's roster chances

Injuries hurting Repko's roster chances

By Ken Gurnick
/
MLB.com |

PHOENIX -- Jason Repko's chances of making the Opening Day roster, difficult at best considering the crowded outfield and his injury history, haven't been helped by his recent unavailability, caused by sore quad muscles.

In the last game he played, on Monday, Repko went 2-for-3, but he did not play on Saturday and was not on the travel roster for Sunday's game at Tucson against the Rockies. He did work out before Saturday's game.

"My body is tight, and some people might call it overcautious, but after last year, I'd rather take a couple of days off. That's a lot better than possibly getting injured," said Repko. "Maybe it's a mental thing I have to get over. I've passed the mental block on my hamstring. I don't think about that.

"But maybe I'm so worried about just having been hurt that I want to make sure I feel good. Maybe my hamstring was tight last spring, and I was so focused on impressing people that I didn't recognize it. I'm just being cautious and trying to be smart. I want to be able to play all year and have a long career. If I didn't learn anything last year, I'd be stupid."

Repko missed the entire 2007 season with a torn hamstring, but that injury is completely healed. He's shown a new coaching staff his tools, batting .343 this spring with 13 RBIs in only 35 at-bats. But the Dodgers already have four starting outfielders (Andruw Jones, Juan Pierre, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier) for three spots, outfielder Delwyn Young is out of options and left-handed pinch-hitter Mark Sweeney can also play the outfield. Repko does have another option year.

Ken Gurnick is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.