Furcal Playing Hurt

We all knew that something was wrong.

Furcal admitted that the ankle, which he sprained during spring training and landed him on the disabled list, still hurts. It doesn't bother him all of the time and when it does, the pain isn't overbearing. But it does serve as a constant reminder that it's something he's going to have to get used to playing with.

"It's not 100 percent," Furcal said. "As soon as I get into a game, I try to forget it. I think it's not going to be 100 percent until the season is over and I can rest it. If you rest it right now, it's going to be more bad. I can play like that. It's not a problem."

His lack of offense attributed to the lack of playing.

"I don't feel so comfortable yet at home plate," he said. "Sometimes I feel like I'm jumping a little bit. I think that's coming as soon as I get more at-bats and play in more games. I'm getting in there and I'm working hard with (coach) Manny (Mota). We're seeing all of the video stuff and I'm trying to do the best I can."

Furcal's stretch of inactivity during the spring was compounded by his decision to not play baseball during the winter. He worked out to stay in shape and was hoping to get his timing back when he arrived at Vero Beach.

"Since the end of last year I didn't do anything," he said. "I just rested in the Dominican Republic and practiced a little. It's not the same practicing over there that it is over here. Then you come to spring training and you're doing more stuff. April always is a little tough for me. I try to do the best I can and it happens sometimes. It's a long season and I came to the season with less at-bats."

Furcal is downplaying his ankle injury as a reason for his slow offensive start. This good news. Afterall, we could expect more of what we saw last year. On the flip-side, if he is wrong and his ankle is to blame, then this season could very well be a long year.

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