TAMPA, Fla. -- New York Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi was scratched from an intrasquad game Monday because of left hamstring tightness.

	Giambi

Giambi first felt the tightness Sunday. The problem is not considered serious.

"I don't think it's anything more than your normal spring training stuff," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "I think he's fine. I prefer to save him for the games."

Torre said Giambi will also sit out Tuesday's intrasquad game. There has been no decision on whether Giambi will play in the spring opener Thursday against the Reds in Sarasota.

Giambi took batting practice Monday. During the intrasquad game, he underwent treatment and rode a stationary bike.

"I could have went out there and played," Giambi said. "We're going to take it slow and precautionary."

Toronto Blue Jays: Outfielder Raul Mondesi arrived at the Toronto Blue Jays' spring training camp Monday, four days after the start of full-squad workouts but one day before the mandatory reporting date.

Mondesi appeared to be in great shape and said he's glad to still be with Toronto.

Mondesi said he was late because he had to handle some personal matters. He had expected to be dealt during the offseason and even wanted a trade.

"Everybody wanted me here so I changed my mind and I am ready to go," Mondesi said.

Mike Barnett, Toronto's new hitting coach, was pleased with what he saw in his first session with Mondesi in the batting cage.

Mondesi hit .252 last season with 27 homers, 84 RBIs and 30 steals.

"I have been working hard in the Dominican, doing a lot of hitting, running and throwing," Mondesi said. "This might be my year."

Montreal Expos: Vladimir Guerrero is hoping Jose Canseco and Fernando Tatis can help him put up even bigger numbers at the plate for the Montreal Expos.

	Guerrero

Guerrero, 25, has emerged as one of baseball's best players, batting .307 with 34 home runs and 108 RBI last season. The career .322 hitter has averaged 40 homers and 120 RBI in his last four years.

"The key will be Tatis," Guerrero said through an interpreter. "If he can come back from the injuries and if Canseco bats behind me, I should get see more pitches to hit."

The Expos, whose future beyond this year is severely in doubt, signed Canseco last week. Guerrero said that when he's on the field, he will not be concerned about Montreal's off-the-field situation.

"Basically, all I am thinking is to play hard. I can't control the rest of the stuff," Guerrero said.

The Expos will play their first intrasquad game Tuesday with Tony Armas Jr. and ace Javier Vazquez scheduled to pitch. The Expos will open the exhibition season Thursday night against Baltimore at Fort Lauderdale.

Milwaukee Brewers: Jeffrey Hammonds was lured to Milwaukee two winters ago by Miller Park and a $21 million, three-year contract, the richest in club history.

	Hammonds

But the center fielder who was an All-Star in 2000 while with the Colorado Rockies has provided little return on the Brewers' investment so far and he's not gotten to enjoy the new ballpark much, either.

Hammonds was limited to 49 games last year by a shoulder injury that required surgery. He returned to the field last week and is tossing the ball 120 feet, half the distance he'll need to throw by opening day.

"You can only do so much in the clinic," Hammonds said. "I'm ready to basically go back out there on the field and rehab my baseball skills."

Dr. Lewis Yocum performed the surgery on Hammonds' right shoulder on July 27. Picture the face of a clock, Yocum told him. The labrum was torn all the way from 3 o'clock to 9 o'clock, worse than most pitchers who tear that muscle in their throwing shoulder.

"They claim it was ripped pretty good," Hammonds said. "I just knew it was hurting."

Colorado Rockies: It might have been the hardest ball he hit all season.

Pinch-hitting last May 11, Todd Hollandsworth lined a pitch off his right shin that crushed the nerve and caused a mysterious fracture that wasn't diagnosed for weeks.

Hitting .368 at the time, Hollandsworth didn't play again. The best season of his life turned into his worst, and the injury created a vacancy in left field that the Colorado Rockies never recovered from.

Now fully recovered, Hollandsworth is back to hitting rockets in batting practice just as he did last spring, eager to prove he can put together a full season as promising as last year began.

"I had a great start last year," he said. "I want to see it through this year."

In his brief 2001 season, he fashioned a 16-game hitting streak that included a three-homer, seven-RBI game against Arizona on April 15.

Expected to share time with Ron Gant in left field, Hollandsworth had begun seizing the bulk of the playing time. Then came the fateful night.

Hollandsworth said the toughest part of last season was "living for two months with the hope of playing tomorrow or the next day, hoping the treatment would finally kick in. It never did."

With Hollandsworth out, left field turned into a black hole, with nine candidates shuttling in and out.

The Rockies, 19-16 when Hollandsworth was hurt, went 54-73 without him.

"We made some major mistakes in left field last year," manager Buddy Bell said. "With Holly out there, those mistakes aren't made. He's not only a big part of our defense but obviously a big part of our offense as well. He looks great, and I know he's eager to be back."

San Diego Padres: Ron Gant didn't simply study the roster before he signed with the San Diego Padres. He also studied their history.

The veteran outfielder knew the Padres weren't exactly hurting at the position when he signed a minor league deal in January. Yet he knew that coming into camp down on the depth chart doesn't guarantee that's where you'll stay.

Bubba Trammell began last year as a Padres reserve and wound up with 490 at-bats. He parlayed a 25-homer season into a $9 million, three-year contract extension.

Though Gant is in camp on a minor league deal, the Padres fully expect to put him on the major league roster. Though Trammell is the first choice as a right-handed outfield bat -- left fielder Ray Lankford, center fielder Mark Kotsay and right fielder Ryan Klesko all hit left-handed -- Gant provides a late-inning power threat off the bench.

He will earn $500,000 this year.

"He's been on championship teams, he's got power, he's a very good athlete," Padres general manager Kevin Towers said on Monday.

Towers got a recommendation of Gant from Athletics general manager Billy Beane.

"Billy told me he's one of the best guys he's ever had in his clubhouse," Towers said.

This is Gant's 15th season, so he knows the ropes. Part of being good in the clubhouse is saying the right things, even if you want to play more. And that's what Gant, who turns 38 on Saturday, has done.

"Physically," he said, "I know I'm still capable of doing the things I've done in the past -- hitting home runs and driving in runs."

Anaheim Angels: In Tempe, Ariz., Anaheim third baseman Troy Glaus twisted his left ankle during drills. He was listed as day-to-day, and Angels manager Mike Scioscia said he was planning on Glaus being ready for drills Tuesday.