Griffey OK With Doctors

Ken Griffey Jr. has no complaint about how the Cincinnati Reds’ medical staff has handled his torn hamstring. He also has no idea when he’ll play again.

A day after General Manager Jim Bowden suggested that the medical staff initially misdiagnosed Griffey’s injury, the center fielder made sure to stay out of the dispute.

“I’d rather not touch that one with a foul pole,� Griffey said Wednesday.

On his twice-weekly radio show, Bowden suggested that Griffey wasn’t put on the disabled list after he suffered the injury during spring training because it wasn’t considered serious.

A magnetic resonance imaging test later found a tear in the hamstring. Bowden said the injury “originally was misdiagnosed.�

That statement angered Dr. Timothy Kremchek, prompting a meeting with Red chief operating officer John Allen. Bowden later issued an apology.

Pitcher Orlando Hernandez of the New York Yankees, winless in nine starts, returned to New York without the team because of inflammation of a toe on his left foot.

“He’s having trouble with his landing,� Yankee Manager Joe Torre said. “You need to land on the ball of your foot. This is the first time [he’s had] this type of injury, that I know of.�

Hernandez (0-5) gave up six runs and nine hits in four innings against the Cleveland Indians on Friday. He is the first Yankee pitcher to go winless in his first nine starts since Fritz Peterson was 0 for 14 in 1967.

Hernandez is still scheduled to start on Friday against the Indians.

Right-hander Francisco Cordova of the Pittsburgh Pirates will have season-ending reconstructive elbow surgery next week. . . .

Outfielder Todd Hollandsworth of the Colorado Rockies underwent an MRI scan for a deep bruise on his right shin, and team doctors were reviewing the results to decide when he could return to the lineup.

Right-hander Juan Guzman of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays gave up three hits and struck out four in three scoreless innings at Clearwater, Fla., in his second extended spring training start.