Pena out with hamstring tightness

Posted Apr 17, 2008 by Marc Lancaster

Updated Apr 17, 2008 at 10:43 PM

MINNEAPOLIS—Carlos Pena isn’t sure how long he’ll be out after leaving tonight’s game with tightness in his right hamstring, but it doesn’t sound like anything too serious.

Rays manager Joe Maddon even raised the possibility that Pena might be back in the lineup tomorrow night against the White Sox, but the Rays will wait and see what an exam of Pena’s leg tomorrow reveals.

Pena was injured running out a grounder to third in the fourth inning.

“I think I went over my speed limit and my leg let me know,” Pena said. “I felt some discomfort in the back of my leg behind my knee, so I pulled up when I felt it.”

He told trainer Ron Porterfield and Maddon about the injury and they decided prevention was the best medicine at that point.

“I spoke with him behind the dugout and I could see it in his face, he was a little bit concerned, so I decided to get him out at that point,” said Maddon.

Eric Hinske moved to first base and Nathan Haynes came on to play right field as Pena went to the training room to get checked out. He didn’t emerge with any definitive answers, but he feels good about the situation. Following the game, he was moving around without trouble and didn’t have the leg wrapped.

“It feels fine now,” said Pena. “They’re going to continue to observe it. [Porterfield] doesn’t think it’s serious and obviously I’m optimistic about it.”