Griffey Injury ‘Serious’

Cincinnati Red outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. will be sidelined at least three to six weeks after injuring his troublesome right knee in a rundown during Sunday’s game against Montreal.

Griffey partially tore the patella tendon and partially dislocated his right kneecap. Cincinnati put the All-Star center fielder on the 15-day disabled list after a 10-inning, 6-5 victory over the Expos.

“It’s a serious injury,” team doctor Timothy Kremchek said after Griffey had an MRI exam.

The Reds will try to treat Griffey with rest and rehabilitation.

Kremchek said there was an “outside chance” Griffey will need an operation. If surgery is required, Griffey would likely be out for the rest of the season, the doctor said.

Griffey, who was bothered during spring training by tendinitis in the same knee, was hurt as he was being tagged by Expo third baseman Chris Truby in the seventh inning. Griffey had tried to score from third base on a grounder and was trapped in a rundown.

Griffey went down holding his knee and was briefly attended to by Cincinnati medical personnel before limping gingerly off the field.

Last year, Griffey missed most of the first three months because of a partially torn left hamstring.

Earlier in the game, Griffey hit his 461st career home run.

“You could see that he was in pain,” said Sean Casey, whose single won the game.

“That’s the last thing you want to see. I know his knee’s been bugging him for the past week or so. We don’t need that cycle to start again.”

Griffey’s first home run of the season, a solo shot down the right-field line, had given the Reds a 2-0 lead in the third inning.

With two out and the bases loaded in the 10th, Casey lined the first pitch he saw from Graeme Lloyd for a single up the middle to score Jason LaRue with the winning run.