Piazza Takes Grounders at First

Mike Piazza began learning to play a new position Monday night, taking grounders at first base for about 10 minutes before the New York Mets played the Colorado Rockies at Denver.

The All-Star catcher came out early, before batting practice, to work at first base for the first time since Met Manager Art Howe and General Manager Steve Phillips spoke with him about the idea last week.

“This is the first day. He just took groundballs, so let’s not read anything more into it,” Howe said. “He’s a long way from ever setting foot on the field at first base in a game.”

On another front, Piazza told the New York Daily News on Sunday that he stopped taking an ephedra-based supplement after the death of Baltimore pitcher Steve Bechler in spring training.

Piazza said he was “freaked out” by Bechler’s death, believed to be related to an ephedra-based diet pill.

*

St. Louis outfielder and catcher Eli Marrero will undergo surgery today for ligament damage in his right ankle. Marrero was injured Sunday at Chicago.... Montreal pitcher Orlando Hernandez underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery and is expected to be out at least three months.... Reliever Antonio Osuna of the New York Yankees didn’t give up a hit in two scoreless innings in his first rehabilitation appearance for Class-A Tampa and might rejoin the Yankees as soon as today.... Met reliever John Franco, 42, struck out two in a scoreless inning for Class-A St. Lucie, his first rehabilitation outing since ligament replacement surgery in his left elbow May 15, 2002.