KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) - Houston Astros first baseman Lance Berkman missed Wednesday's spring training opener against Washington because of a sore left shoulder.
Berkman said the soreness didn't worry him, but he walked around the clubhouse before morning workouts with an ice pack taped around the shoulder.He said the pain was most severe when he threw and that he didn't feel any tenderness when batting. Berkman attributed the pain to normal aches of early spring training.
Houston manager Cecil Cooper said he believed it was a result of Berkman's offseason conditioning.
"He's a little sore so we're just doing it as a precautionary measure," Cooper said.
Cooper also rested veterans Miguel Tejada and Carlos Lee on Wednesday. He said he plans to play all three Thursday against the Braves.
"I'll play all about four, maybe five innings," Cooper said. "They won't play on Friday, and then I'll play them on Saturday. They'll be off on Sunday and they'll play again on Monday. After that it'll change, because Carlos will be gone" to the World Baseball Classic.
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