Red Sox Gonzalez Not Ready, But Close
FORT MYERS, FL (CBS) - Although he is not cleared to swing a bat, Adrian Gonzalez is certain he will be ready for opening day.
"I feel like I'll be 100-percent, April 1st is something I should be ready for," he told the media from Fort Myers, Florida on Thursday.
Picking up a bat is not far off either.
"I'm looking forward to that day. I'm counting the days now," the eager slugger said.
Adrian Gonzalez Talks About Hitting, His Doctors Appointment
Gonzalez, acquired by the Red Sox in December, underwent offseason surgery to clean up the labrum in his non-throwing shoulder. He has already been participating in defensive drills, and will meet with his surgeon next week to get the okay to start swinging.
Read: Red Sox Spring Training Live Thread
"There are zero limitations, I'm exactly where I need to be at this point post-surgery," Gonzalez said. "Everything is going as planned and it feels great. I know I could swing today if I wanted to, but there's no rush."
Gonzalez played through the injury during the 2010 season, and actually used it to his advantage. Instead of trying to hit the ball out of the park every at-bat, Gonzalez focused more on putting the ball in play and hitting for average. Now he will take what he learned and put it toward 2011.
"In a way it was a blessing in disguise," he said. "I learned how to be able to look for a single, hit with runners in scoring position. It made me a better hitter."
Coming from San Diego, Gonzalez will now play in front of a packed house on a nightly basis. Mixed with the high expectations, one may expect Gonzalez to feel more pressure, but it is not something the slugger is worried about.
"Pressure is something you put on yourself," he said. "If you were to say 'I have pressure' that's your perspective. I'm going to go out there and have fun, enjoy the fact that it's a packed house and enjoy that energy."
