MIAMI — Miami Marlins manager Mike Redmond appeared a bit more reserved than usual during his pregame dugout meeting with the media on Thursday. A few minutes into the session, Redmond's demeanor made sense: Giancarlo Stanton had suffered a setback in his rehab from a strained hamstring.
"He came in a couple of days ago with sore knees, so we’ve had to back him off," Redmond said. “He just started lightly jogging and just now complaining about his knees being sore."
Redmond was asked if the latest news concerning his slugger was a disappointment. "That’s an understatement. That's an understatement."
During Marlins batting practice, however, Stanton was seen running lightly along the warning track in the outfield.
Through a team spokesman after batting practice, Redmond said Stanton apparently ran on his own to test the knees. The manager repeated that he had been told Stanton's knees were sore.
Stanton went on the disabled list April 30 after suffering the hamstring injury a night earlier in a 4-3, 15-inning win against the New York Mets.
Stanton is hitting .227 with three home runs and nine RBI in 20 games.
He appeared to be coming around right before the hamstring injury, as he hit his first three homers in the two games before the one in which he was hurt.
The Marlins were last in the major leagues in hitting (.221) and home runs (27) entering Thursday night's game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Follow Charlie McCarthy on Twitter @mccarthy_chas or e-mail him at mac1763@bellsouth.net.
