Still Swollen, Beltre Returns to Field

The Mariners were optimistic that Adrian Beltre might be able to return to action as soon as this week after he resumed baseball workouts with the team on Monday. That's good news for the Mariners and Beltre, who certainly wasn't feeling so good about things a couple weeks ago, when a ground ball nailed him in his unprotected groin, sending him to the disabled list with a contused testicle.

Beltre, who was greeted by Ken Griffey Jr. as the "Nutcracker," spoke to reporters for the first time in detail about what happened on that fateful night.

"I thought, 'It exploded,'" he said. "It was weird, because it hit right on it, right on top of it. I felt like going down, but I saw the ball right next to me, and I wanted to finish the play. Then I made a wild throw. It was on target, but low."

Beltre said he didn't lay down because "there were cameras around."

Beltre played the final five innings of the Aug. 12 game because the Mariners had no extra infielders. Jack Hannahan had already left the game with a sore hamstring.

Beltre apparently did some light activities while the team was away for a week, and he took ground balls on Monday. He's eligible to be activated on Friday, and that remains a possibility.

When he comes back, will he continue to be one of those brave (foolish?) big league infielders who doesn't wear a a cup? Beltre said in the immediate aftermath of the injury that he still may not wear one, but Monday he sounded resigned to the fact that it could be mandatory.

"For now, probably, I will. Against my will, maybe," he said. "The swelling is still there, so maybe for now, I have to. I think I need custom-sized one. I'll see what I can do."

Realistically, the doctors said he has to wear the cup if he wants to play because the swelling is still evident.

But when the swelling goes down, will cup be removed?

"I don't know," he said. "That's a good question."

It shows how much he loathes wearing a cup if he's considering going back out there after suffering the injury he had.

"I might be lying if I said that," he said. "I've tried before. It's uncomfortable. I hated it. If it's going to happen every 11 years of my career, I'll take my chances."