Spring Training

Rays' first loss

Dewon Brazelton, counted on to make the rotation, hurts knee during sliding drill but says he's not worried.

By MARC TOPKIN, Times Staff Writer

© St. Petersburg Times
published February 27, 2003

ST. PETERSBURG -- The first Devil Rays injury of the spring came in a most unusual way: Pitcher Dewon Brazelton tweaked his right knee, and felt something pop, during an awkward slide in a Wednesday morning drill.

Brazelton was scratched from today's intrasquad game, but the Rays won't know the extent of the injury, or how much more time he will miss, until he is examined by team orthopedic physician Koco Eaton, likely this morning.

[Times photo: Michael Rondou] Dewon Brazelton takes one of several slides during drills, when he felt something pop in his surgically repaired right knee.

"Let's hope it's not serious or even lingering," manager Lou Piniella said. "It's a shame, it really is. Let's just hope at worst it's just a little achiness or soreness and nothing more. I'm counting on Dewon to compete very seriously for a starting rotation spot."

Brazelton, 22, said he was concerned about the knee because he had reconstructive surgery in 1995, but he was not worried Wednesday's injury was serious.

"I can't say that it's nothing," Brazelton said, "but I don't think it's a big deal."

The pitchers went through brief sliding and baserunning drills as part of a standard review of fundamentals, even for an American League team. But there was an apparent breakdown in communication because the new coaching staff didn't know of Brazelton's previous knee problems.

"He hasn't slid in five years," Piniella said. "You certainly don't want to see a pitcher getting hurt sliding. If it happens on the mound, well, there's not much you can do about it. I wasn't aware that he's had surgery on that knee. I wasn't aware of it. I take responsibility, I'm the manager of the team. That's something that won't happen again. ... To get a pitcher hurt sliding is something that shouldn't happen, especially if you've had a little history of knee or ankle problems."

Brazelton was 15 when he was hurt playing football, requiring surgery on his ACL. Because of that injury, Brazelton said he is sensitive to new problems.

Wednesday's injury occurred when he attempted what could best be described as an awkward slide. "I was sliding and I caught my back leg, my right leg, on the edge of the sliding mat, and I immediately felt something pop right at that point," Brazelton said.

Brazelton continued with the drills, trying another slide, walking with the group around the bases and briefly going into the outfield to shag balls before walking off the field with team medical personnel.

"I've had that happen before and it's something I don't even mess around with," Brazelton said. "I guess you'd have to have a knee like mine to understand. ... People can say whatever they want to say about it. I know how my knee is and that's my livelihood, so I'm not going to run around and be no hero after I've already tweaked it."

Brazelton said if today were a regular-season game instead of an intrasquad exhibition, he probably would try to pitch.

"I'm not worried at all," he said. "It's kind of like you have to have a knee injury to know a knee injury, and there's a difference between being hurt and being injured."

The Rays are hoping for big things this season from Brazelton, who was their top pick in the 2001 draft and moved from Double A to Triple A to the majors by the end of last season.

This spring, he has been working hard on refining his delivery with the possibility that he could end up being the No. 2 starter behind Joe Kennedy.

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