Weeks happily 'free' after hamstring pops

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Brewers second baseman Rickie Weeks felt a pop in the same left hamstring that required season-ending surgery last August -- and was grinning ear-to-ear afterward.

This time, the pop was a good thing. According to Weeks, it was scar tissue breaking free.

"I've been waiting for that," Weeks said. "It's just free now, basically."

Weeks had singled with one out in the inning to boost his Cactus League batting average to .368. He motored all the way home on Jonathan Lucroy's double and scored on a headfirst slide, but appeared to labor halfway between third base and the plate.

He exited the game in the next half inning, but insisted this was no setback.

"It was a little knot back there, basically," Weeks said. "On that one, I knew I had to 'bust it,' and I stretched out and it just released. It kind of scared me a little bit, and then the last three steps I was like, 'Oh, I feel good.'

"It's a great thing, for sure. Now I'm good. … Now that I've had that release, I can keep strengthening it more and more, and just keep working through it."

The 31-year-old is entering the final guaranteed season of his contract after batting .209 last year and missing the final six weeks of the season following surgery. He reported to camp at full health to battle Scooter Gennett for starting duties at second base.