Ike says he has no Valley Fever symptoms
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 as he stood at his locker and answered questions about "likely" having Valley Fever. And that's precisely the point. Although the blood test for the fungal infection has come back negative, the medical staff still believes that Valley Fever 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, and Sandy Alderson spoke to the media Sunday morning as well. The GM denied that the team was trying to hide anything by not talking about it, 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. In Davis' case, there is no way to determine when he was infected. Davis said the infection could take up to a year to dissipate, but for now, he's not worried about the regular season. Neither is Terry Collins, who said he does not expect the infection to mess with Davis' playing time.
"He's feeling fine, he feels strong," the manager said. "But I just know as the season wears on, there's going to be -- when that fatigue sets in -- we've got to get him off his feet and let him take a break one day. I think there'll be days we give him off, but I think they will be matchup situations."
