By Shannon Drayer

Danny Hultzen will miss time, perhaps as little as three to four days, with a mild strain of his right hip flexor. Head trainer Rick Griffin stressed that this is nothing major.

"It's not a good thing because he has something and he is not going to get to pitch, but this is not a serious thing," he said on the field during drills. "It is nothing major. It is just something we need to quiet down so he can get back to doing what he needs to do."

Hultzen felt tightness after running a few days ago. When it got worse the next day he knew it was time to get it looked at.

"After we ran it was a little sore and it got worse and worse," Hultzen said of the injury. "But it wasn't like a sudden thing that I think is a good thing. I'm not worried about it but I will be on the shelf for a couple of days and then back out there, so it will be good."

Hultzen has no history of leg injuries and the fact that it was his right hip and not his leg is a good thing in that he pushes off the left. An injury to the left hip could take more time to heal, but fortunately this is not what they are dealing with.

Griffin said that Hultzen will undergo hydrotherapy, physical therapy and ride the stationary bike the next few days. He will be allowed to play catch but not throw off the mound. They will re-evaluate in the next three to four days and after that should have a better picture of how much more time he will miss, if any.

Of course any time when you are a young player trying to make a roster is too much time, but Hultzen realized he would not be helping himself if he tried to tough it out.

"That was the toughest part," he said of realizing he would be losing innings. "But in the long run this is the smartest thing. It is the right thing to do. You never want to be in the training room but hopefully I am only there a couple of days."

Griffin said that what Hultzen is dealing with is a fairly typical early spring injury. Tightenss or a slight strain that needs a couple of days to quiet down.

"All these guys are sore and this off day is coming at a good time," he said. "It doesn't matter how good of shape you are coming into camp. When you start playing games and doing the fundamentals, your body just gets sore."