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La Russa Plays It Safe With Vina
Rick Hummel of the Post-Dispatch
March 9, 2001
Cardinals second baseman Fernando Vina has appeared in just two spring training games, and it will be a while before he plays again.
"I don't even think about it till next week," manager Tony La Russa said after Vina received a cortisone shot in his heel Thursday morning.
"I'll be all right - ready to roll April 2, for sure," said Vina, who underwent an MRI exam on Wednesday.
Vina has inflammation in the bursa near his left Achilles' tendon, but the tendon is intact, Cardinals medical officials said.
Placido Polanco, who led the Cardinals in hitting last spring with a .439 mark, jumped his average to .529 this year with two hits as Vina's replacement Thursday during the Cardinals' 5-4 win over the Florida Marlins in an exhibition game here.
Larry Sutton delivered a game-winning sacrifice fly against Marlins relief ace Antonio Alfonseca (45 saves last year) in the ninth inning after Stubby Clapp, who replaced Polanco, beat out a drag bunt to start the inning.
The other four Cardinals runs came on four homers - two by John Mabry and one each by J.D. Drew and Shane Andrews. Drew and Polanco both have hit safely in all six games they have played.
Vina stayed back in Jupiter, Fla., happy about the potential relief the shot should bring.
"That should calm (the inflammation) down," he said. "Hopefully, this knocks it out.
"But I'm not going to be stupid. Time is on my side. If I started playing tomorrow and felt good, all I'd need is five games. All I need to do is see some pitching. Defensively, I'm ready to roll."
Vina had to come out of his last start when he could run only gingerly, and La Russa maintains a healthy concern despite the fact that the season is more than three weeks away.
"There's no doubt in my that it will be enough," La Russa said of the time remaining. "The question is what we can do to see that he stays healthy."
Much of Vina's game is running, though he stole only 10 bases last year.
"I'd like to get 25, 30," he said. "If you could get one stolen base a w eek, that's 26 stolen bases. There's no reason why I shouldn't be able to do that. When you look it at that way, it seems very obtainable."
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
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