[Mid-depth_Reporter]

He’s back. Supposedly healthy, too.

With his ever-present boyish smile and joking behavior, Ken Griffey Jr. checked into camp a little early. In fact, the pitchers and catchers jabbed at him a little bit.

Cincinnati Reds fans should be happy. For the first time since he joined the team via a trade from the Seattle Mariners at the end of the 1999 season, Griffey is expected to be completely healthy.

Last year, Griffey played 128 games, the most since the 145 he played in 2000 – his first season with the Reds. Griffey hit 35 HR, 92 RBI while batting .301, his first .300 season since his 1997 MVP season with the Mariners.

However, he’s 36, now.

Yet, age never seems to affect his bat – only on field injuries. The past few years, Griffey’s reoccurring hamstring injuries have hampered his performance and limited his playing time. The past three years, Griffey has hit 41 HR, 109 RBI and batted a meager .255. He’s also played in just 206 games.

That’s not all he’s hurt though.

With Griffey’s injuries, the Reds have been forced to make due with finding replacements in center field. The main guy has been Wily Mo Pena, a power-hitting, twenty-four-year old outfielder who has some defensive ability but little chance at hitting .270. Ryan Freel has also filled in a few times, but is not built with the defensive prowess that Griffey has naturally, and his bat lacks in many aspects.

This year should be different, though. The Reds have Griffey back for about 140 games, if all works out well. Which means Griffey will supply about 30 HR, 100 RBI and another .300 season, to aid in the bolstering of a Reds lineup. There will also be a solid centerfielder to play defense. Sure, he’s lost some touch, but a Griffey at 36 is better than a Mo Pena or Freel at any age.

Although the Reds will need complete turnarounds from its pitching staff and several of its batters to even contend this year, the Reds will have one thing, a healthy Ken Griffey Jr.

At least on opening day, anyway. For the rest of the season, please stand by.

[Lefty Noob]

Pretty sure I've heard this story before, in past years. And sadly, he usually winds up getting hurt not long after proclaiming himself healthy and ready to go. Hopefully this year will reverse that trend. He's a good ballplayer -- probably could have been the best ever had he not been snakebit with so many injuries. I'd love to see him play at least one or two more full seasons before he calls it a career, and I'd love it if he was able to go out on his own terms, not because of an injury.