By Jorge Arangure Jr.
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 5, 2007

MINNEAPOLIS, April 4 -- After missing batting practice for the second straight day and not starting on Wednesday, catcher Ramon Hernandez appears doubtful to play Friday in the series opener against the Yankees, and his status beyond that is uncertain. Hernandez said he has felt slight improvement with his strained left oblique muscle, but he is not ready to resume all baseball activities.

"Injuries are weird," he said. "Maybe today you say you won't be ready for Friday, then tomorrow you wake up and you're good for Friday. I guess I'll just take it one day at a time, and we'll see how I feel the next day. I'm not going to say I might be ready . . . I'll just say I don't know yet."

Hernandez's chances of playing in New York were reduced by the weather forecast. Temperatures could dip into the low 30s at night, which could make it difficult for Hernandez to get loose. A possibility exists that Hernandez may have to go on the disabled list.

"If I have to go to the disabled list, that's how it is," he said. "I'd prefer to go on to the disabled list and miss two weeks. I want to play. Don't get me wrong. I really want to play and I really feel bored when I've got to watch the games. . . . At the same time, I've got to think about if I go and play like this. If I lie and say I feel better, but I don't, I might hurt it again worse. That could take one or two months, and that would really hurt the team. They don't deserve that. They deserve me to be honest, and I'm going to try to be honest because it's going to be the best for me and the team."

Entering Wednesday's game, both of Hernandez's replacements (Paul Bako and Alberto Castillo) were hitless.

Chris Gomez made his first start of the season at first base in place of the slumping Kevin Millar, who is hitless in eight at-bats and was just 4 for 45 this spring. Orioles Manager Sam Perlozzo said he wanted to get Gomez into a game, and not necessarily punish Millar.

"I've hit .290 in the big leagues for 10 years, I'll be fine," Millar said. "I'm not going to hit .100, I'm not going to hit zero. I'm not going to hit .500."

Millar said he isn't concerned about losing playing time.

"I don't think about that stuff," he said. "I have got to hit. It's the same thing every year, you've got to hit. Right now I am not swinging the bat good, and I'll just keep going in the cages and in one of these at-bats it will be a double to right-center or a double to left-center and it will be a big RBI and then you go from there."

UP NEXT Tomorrow at Yankees7:05 p.m. Loewen (6-6) vs. Mussina (15-7) WJZ-13, MASN Saturday at Yankees1:05 p.m. Trachsel (15-8) vs. Igawa (no record) MASN