Lee fouls ball off foot, X-Ray/MRI come back ok

Orioles first baseman Derrek Lee was not in Sunday’s starting lineup and wasn’t likely to play at all in the O’s contest in Port Charlotte after fouling a ball off his left foot Saturday afternoon.

Lee had an X-ray on his foot Saturday night and there was an area that the doctors
were concerned about so Lee had an MRI Sunday morning, which came back OK. Manger Buck Showalter didn’t rule out Lee playing in Sunday’s game, although it’s not likely.

Jake Fox, who was scheduled to play first base instead, would move to catcher in that scenario.

Lee injured his foot during his first swing in Saturday’s first plate appearance, which was also his Grapefruit League debut. Lee eventually walked off Phillies starter Cole Hamels. He remained in the game for 4 1/2 innings and said afterward that his right wrist and thumb both felt “great”.

Lee had offseason surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb and most recently had been sidelined by tendinitis in his wrist. Saturday was his first spring game and Showalter said if Lee did not play on Sunday the team would hope to get him some Minor League at-bats in Monday’s game, which is a scheduled off day for the big league club. Right now, it’s too early to tell what his timetable might be.