PHOENIX – Manny Ramirez took his carefree attitude back into the outfield where he put his hamstring to the test.
Ramirez was back in left field for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and said he felt fine running toward the left-field line to cut off a drive by Bill Hall in the second inning of Los Angeles’ 12-9 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday.
“I thought I was going to mess it up again, but it feels pretty good,” said Ramirez, who had an ice wrap on the hamstring afterward. “I was just going to run hard and see.”
Ramirez had been kept from playing in the field since he aggravated his sore left hamstring chasing down a double against the Colorado Rockies on March 15, his only other game in left this spring. He missed six games before returning for two as the designated hitter.
“Every time you hurt your hamstring, you always have that in the back of your mind. But I want to test it,” Ramirez said. “Maybe I’m 50 percent, but who cares? It’s a long season.”
Ramirez singled, walked and was called out on strikes while playing 3 1/2 innings. He was not expected to play when the Dodgers travel to Tucson on Thursday but said he will be back in the lineup Friday.
Milwaukee left fielder Ryan Braun, meanwhile, was removed for a pinch-hitter in the fourth inning with what the Brewers called right side stiffness.
In other news:
• The Florida Marlins traded right-hander Eulogio De La Cruz to the San Diego Padres.
The Marlins said they would get a player to be named or cash in the deal, while the Padres’ release just mentioned a player to be named.
• Outfielder Trot Nixon was released by the Milwaukee Brewers. Nixon, who will be 35 on April 11, was a nonroster invitee to camp. Nixon has 137 homers and 555 RBIs with a .274 average over 12 seasons, 10 with Boston.
• Tampa Bay prospect David Price was optioned to Triple-A Durham on Wednesday.
The No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft, Price, a left-hander, was called up last season and earned his first big league win and save – in Game 7 – in the ALCS.
The 23-year-old Price pitched 139 1/3 innings between the minors and the Rays in 2008. Tampa wants to ensure he doesn’t exceed that total by more than 20 percent this season. By starting Price at Durham, the Rays can monitor his innings and pitch count.