Fernando

Viña

Vina has begun jogging on a treadmill and doing weight work. Bo Hart will have a job a while longer unless the Cardinals make a trade.

An MRI taken in Houston to check for a stress fracture was negative. Vina has been diagnosed with tendinitis, but is concerned that the pain has persisted after a cortisone injection. The Cardinals don’t plan to place him on the DL, but that could change if Vina doesn’t play this weekend.

Vina could go back to St. Louis for further evaluation. Whatever the diagnosis, he’s not expected to play this weekend.

Vina wants to have the hand examined further and may return to St. Louis today. He continues to wear a heavy wrap around the hand. The DL remains a possibility.

He will rest the injury for a week or so, and then start some type of rehabilitation program. Don’t expect Vina to return to action until the begining of June.

The Tigers are hoping he can return around May 26th, the first day he is eligible.

Agent Sam Levinson said Vina has a torn patella tendon. “It is a very difficult problem to deal with that is not necessarily repaired by an operation. The very last resort is surgery because of the risk, with no guaranteed outcome. You must give it every chance to heal, non-operatively,” Levinson said. “Unfortunately, Fernando is not making any progress.” The Tigers should collect insurance on the $3 million Vina is still owed if he misses the season. All in all, this contract hasn’t turned out as badly as we thought it would.

“We’re not counting on him from a health standpoint,” GM Dave Dombrowski said Tuesday. “In all likelihood, I know he is not going to be ready.” Vina’s absence will only be felt if Carlos Guillen starts off on the DL. Even then, the Tigers won’t lose much going with Ramon Martinez and Jason Smith at second base or even using Ryan Raburn if he has a strong spring. Omar Infante will start at second base if Guillen is healthy.

“I’m looking to go to a winner,” Vina said. “I want to put a ring on that finger. You look to teams that have chances to win and I know the Mets are going to want to win.” The Mets likely will explore adding Kazuo Matsui and Luis Castillo before they consider Vina.

The Mets and Red Sox are also thought to have some interest in Vina.