Ike Davis on 'likely' Valley Fever: 'I feel great'
New York Mets first baseman Ike Davis handles a grounder during a spring training workout. (Feb. 27, 2012) Credit: AP
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Ike Davis looked pretty much the same early Sunday morning as he stood at his locker and answered questions about "likely" having Valley Fever. And that's precisely the point. While the blood test for the fungal infection has come back negative so far, the team's medical staff still believes that is the probable diagnosis, and Davis' immediate future remains just as foggy.
"I feel great and I don't have any symptoms of it," Davis said. "I'm not coughing. I'm not throwing up blood. I'm not doing anything. It's not even hard to breathe. The doctor said I could play, just don't get really fatigued. So that's what we're doing, and if I get really tired, I kind of just step to the side and take a break."
The Mets issued a statement Saturday night about Davis' prognosis, but Sandy Alderson spoke to the media Sunday morning as well. The GM denied that the team was trying to hide anything by sitting on the possibility of Valley Fever, but the diagnosis didn't surface until it was first reported Saturday afternoon by MLB.com.
"There can be a delay of some period of time so that the blood test might become positive at a later date," Alderson said, "so what we have is a working diagnosis. This is based on the opinion of the specialists. There's no medication, he's not under any real restrictions, and this is something that will resolve itself."
Alderson pointed out that, in most instances, those infected never show any symptoms, unless they are suffering from compromised immune systems. The GM also said he was told that 40 percent of Arizona residents are exposed to the spores that cause Valley Fever at some point, making it "commonplace."
What it means for Davis going forward is unclear. Conor Jackson, then with the Diamondbacks, played only 30 games during the 2009 season as he struggled with an extreme case of Valley Fever. In Davis' case, there is no way to determine when he was infected, so it's difficult to figure out where he is on the timeline. Davis said the infection could take up to a year to dissipate, but for now, he's not worried about the regular season.
"Honestly, I think spring training is going to be the toughest thing," Davis said. "During the season, I'll be fine, just because in spring training you're trying to get ready for the season, so you have to do a lot more stuff to get ready. I don't think this is going to be a problem."
Alderson characterized the team's concern as "low" and Davis has not been held out of any workouts. He had two hits, including a double, in Saturday's intrasquad game.
"From our standpoint, he's continuing to do all the drills," Alderson said. "He does have to avoid becoming exhausted, but we're going to follow up with it in New York when we get back. We've gone from a general diagnosis to a more specific one, but it hasn't resulted in any more dramatic consequences."
