SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) -San Francisco shortstop Omar Vizquel began rehabilitation on his surgically repaired left knee Friday, two days after undergoing a procedure that could sideline him for six weeks.
He plans to play it smart and not rush back.
The 11-time Gold Glove winner doubts he’ll be ready for opening day but was pleased the swelling had subsided since he flew back to the desert Thursday from the Bay Area. In a couple of weeks, Vizquel hopes to begin swinging the bat again.
“It’s not as swollen as yesterday. I’m feeling pretty good right now. No soreness,” Vizquel said after a short stint in the training room at Scottsdale Stadium. “I’m tightening and contracting the muscle to help maintain its strength. It’s going to feel weak anyway.”
The 40-year-old Vizquel knows all about this stuff. He had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in September 2003, in the second-to-last of his 11 seasons with the Cleveland Indians. He came back too soon that time and re-injured the knee.
This time, the torn medial meniscus was removed.
“I’m going to listen to my knee,” he said. “I’m going to be really careful.”
While Vizquel is in great shape and always says he feels much younger than he is, he wants to play a full season without a setback. The Giants’ athletic trainers expect him to bounce back quickly.
“I guess because I don’t have too much fat on my body the recovery period is faster than others,” Vizquel said. “You don’t know how it’s going to react. It’s a 40-year-old knee instead of a (36-year-old) knee that I had when I had the other surgery.”
He first experienced pain in the left knee in late January while working out in Seattle before spring training, then it got worse once he arrived in Arizona. He said he was fine when he went to his native Venezuela for about a month of winter ball in November.
That’s right around when Vizquel agreed to a $5.3 million, one-year contract to stay with San Francisco for a fourth season. The deal includes a club option that could make it worth $10.2 million over two seasons.
He batted just .246 with four home runs and 51 RBIs in 2007 but still played great defense.
Vizquel tried to play through the pain early in spring training.
“I was frustrated because being three or four days in the training room in a row, that’s not me,” he said. “I never go there for any little pain. If I go there it’s because something is really bothering me and obviously it was something that needed to be surgically removed. I was feeling down and feeling a little worried.
“But it’s done, so I can smile now.”
Another former Giants 40-something, Barry Bonds, had three operations on his troublesome right knee in 2005 and was limited to 14 games.
“He’s more top-heavy,” Vizquel said of the 43-year-old indicted home run king. “I’m still light on my feet.”
Add A Comment
THIS IS NOT A GAMBLING SITE – If you think you have a gambling problem click here.
Disclaimer: This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Individual users are responsible for the laws regarding accessing gambling information from their jurisdictions. Many countries around the world prohibit gambling, please check the laws in your location. Any use of this information that may violate any federal, state, local or international law is strictly prohibited.
Copyright: The information contained on TheSpread.com website is protected by international copyright and may not be reproduced, or redistributed in any way without expressed written consent.
About: TheSpread.com is the largest sports betting news site in the United States. We provide point spread news, odds, statistics and information to over 175 countries around the world each year. Our coverage includes all North American College and Professional Sports as well as entertainment, political and proposition wagering news.
©1999-2023 TheSpread.com