ARLINGTON, Texas -- Orioles first baseman Mark Reynolds said it will take more than a painful foul ball off his left foot to keep him from playing in Friday's American League wild-card playoff game against the Texas Rangers.
Reynolds fouled a ball off a bone in his left big toe in the fifth inning of the Orioles' 4-1 regular season finale loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, but he remained in the game. X-rays on Reynolds' foot were negative and he expects to play Friday.
"No problem once you get under the lights and get a little adrenaline flowing," Reynolds said. "We know how important this game is and I'm sure all the pain will go away."
Reynolds was walking around the visiting clubhouse at Rangers Ballpark with his foot wrapped and limping noticeably.
He landed on the disabled list with an oblique straight in May, but has played through biceps and hand injuries that were caused by being hit by pitches.
"This is nothing," Reynolds said, comparing this injury to others, "especially this time of year, [with] so much on the line."
Reynolds hit 16 of his 23 homers since Aug. 8 and hit .221/.335/.429 in 135 games this season. His 159 strikeouts were the lowest since his rookie year of 2007 with the Diamondbacks.
Over the course of the season, Reynolds said that 2007 season was the most fun he's had in the majors because the Diamondbacks made the playoffs. Now, he's back playing in the postseason.
"We are where we expected to be in spring training," Reynolds said. "Obviously a lot of people didn't think we would get here, but I know everyone in this clubhouse thought we could. Last time I was in the playoffs we had five games to decide it not one. Just a nail-biting game all the way till the end. Hopefully we can move on and go play the Yankees."