INDIANS Jody Gerut comes out swinging

On the mend from knee surgery, the slugging outfielder took batting practice for the first time.
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (AP) -- Jody Gerut knows his spring training is going to last until summer, but his goal is to be playing in the fall.
"I'll be there in spirit the first part of the season," the Cleveland Indians' outfielder said on Tuesday after he reached another milestone on his road to recovery from knee surgery.
"I took batting practice on the field," he said. "It felt good to face some live pitching."
It probably will be at least until June before the 27-year-old will be hitting in earnest in a game, however.
He will participate in the team's extended spring training program in Florida before starting a rehab assignment with one of the Indians' minor-league teams in June.
Gerut had surgery Sept. 19 to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. It put an end to a 2004 season that did not match expectations following his fine rookie year in 2003.
His batting average fell from .279 to .252, his home-run total was cut in half to 11 and his RBI total dropped by 24 to 51.
"It may not have been my best year, but I learned more as a man than I have at any other time of my life," Gerut said.
Rehab during offseason
Gerut said he believes that knowing his capabilities and his limitations have helped him during a rigorous offseason of rehabilitation.
"I know the process and I know myself," he said. "The type of player I am, I'm going to be injured from time to time. It is either curb your enthusiasm for the game and for the way you play or accept the fact that you are going to be hurt from time to time and sometimes you are going to be really hurt."
He said there is not much chance that he will curtail his aggressive style.
"The answer there is simple," he said. "Deal with it."
Indians head athletic trainer Lonnie Soloff said Gerut is dealing well.
"He has progressed well from a very serious injury," Soloff said. "He is right on schedule, but knows he has a long way to go, too."
Gerut went through a similar process four years ago. He missed the 2001 season after twice having surgery on his left knee to repair a damaged patella tendon.
That experience does not necessarily make this rehab any easier, though Gerut does understand the need for patience.
"When it comes to injuries, who knows what is going to happen?" he said. "If you put together some sort of timetable, you put yourself at risk of further injury. You can be at risk if you put a limit on, too.
"I've asked other people who have had the surgery and it is apparent that recovery is different for everybody. Some guys said they didn't feel strong and then one day they woke up and everything was great. I'm still waiting for that day."
Moving ahead
Gerut is encouraged that he has not had any setbacks.
"I haven't really had any bad days, knock on wood," he said. "Everything has been progressing nicely. I'm responding to an increased activity level. The progress is slow, but it is good."
He wears a bulky knee brace while hitting, running or throwing. But his daily regimen also includes plenty of work in the weight room.
"I have a day or two where I don't do much, then I hit it pretty hard for four or five days in a row," he said.
"You just go with it and when it feels better you increase things and when it doesn't, you back off."
Gerut said he will take that same approach when he does get back on the playing field full time.
"I really don't know what to expect," he said. "If I feel at risk, then I probably should not be out there yet. That is my gauge."
Gerut is eager to rejoin a team that he believes has a chance to be playing in the postseason this fall.
"Within our payroll limitations, we did a great job of going out and getting guys, adding depth," he said. "There are no glaring holes and I like our chances.
"That's all you can do is give yourself a chance, then let the attitude and the personality of the team take over."