"Third baseman Scott Rolen has a sore hamstring and has had one since the Los Angeles Dodgers series a month ago.

"But I wasn't out of the lineup yesterday because of the hamstring," he said.

Rolen said it was more of a scheduled day off.

"We're going through a tough stretch with the day game, night game, day game," he said. "It seemed reasonable to try to stay on top of it."

The plan all along has been to get regular rest for Rolen, who turned 35 the day before Opening Day.

"We're trying to catch up a bit," Rolen said.

The hamstring hasn't bothered Rolen at the plate recently. He is hitting .419 (13-for-31) with two home runs and 10 RBI over his last nine games.

"In Houston and St. Louis (in late April), I wasn't comfortable," he said. "I wasn't taking the swings I wanted. I don't know if it was that or I was just (bad). That happens, too.""