FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Baltimore Orioles shortstop Miguel Tejada left Thursday's game against Boston with strained lower
right leg muscle.
"Everything is fine. ... I'm going to be OK," Tejada said
after the Orioles' 10-8 victory over the Red Sox. "It just hurt
real bad for about five seconds and then it went away. After the
doc checked it and I got some ice, it went away."
Tejada, who has the longest active consecutive games played
streak in the major leagues at 594, came out after Mark Bellhorn
hit a chopper between third and shortstop for the first out of the
fourth inning. Third baseman Melvin Mora cut in front of Tejada to
make the play.
Orioles manager Lee Mazzilli and head trainer Richie Bancells
came on the field to tend to Tejada, who stood with hands on hips,
bent at the waist.
"The thing that was bothering him more than anything was the
cramping," Bancells said.
X-rays were taken at City of Palms Park to determine the extent
of the injury, which began to bother Tejada during warmups,
Bancells said. Tejada returned to the Orioles clubhouse on a
motorized cart and went to the training room for treatment, walking
without a limp.
"I didn't drink too much water today. I think that's why I got
a cramp," Tejada said.
After a brief discussion, Tejada was replaced by Luis Lopez.
Lopez later left the game with a cramp in his left calf, while
Mora left in the eighth inning after being hit above the left elbow
by a Reynaldo Garcia pitch. Neither injury is believed to be
serious, Mazzilli said, and both players are day to day.
A former AL MVP with Oakland, Tejada agreed in December to a $72
million, six-year contract with the Orioles.
He hit a two-run homer in the first inning and an RBI double in
the third. Tejada is 9-for-20 (.450) with two homers and six RBI
this spring.
Tejada was not scheduled to accompany the Orioles to Viera for
their Friday game against Montreal, but will receive treatments in
Fort Lauderdale.
"I'm playing Saturday," he said.