01:00 AM EDT on Friday, September 26, 2003

BOSTON -- Trot Nixon is fearful that his season is over because of the recurrence of the strain in his left calf muscle. His concern extends to the postseason as well.

Team physician Bill Morgan, general manager Theo Epstein and manager Grady Little all said yesterday that they thought Nixon was progressing well, but the right fielder was downcast.

"The worst part is I don't know if I'll be able to play the rest of the year, including the playoffs," said Nixon yesterday. "It depends on how it reacts.

"I don't know what I did. I don't know how I could have re-aggravated it," he said somberly. "It didn't bother me (when he pinch-hit Tuesday night). It didn't bother me until the next morning. Now I can't do anything. It's very discouraging, especially when I can't play on the night we can clinch."

Nixon was hurt Sept. 9, running out of the batter's box in Baltimore after lining a single. He missed nine games, and then played three in a row before sitting out Tuesday's game because of wet grounds. He popped-out as a pinch-hitter that night and was part of the jubilant mob that greeted David Ortiz after his game-winning homer in the 10th. The Boston players jumped up and down in celebration as if on pogo sticks.

Nixon was not in the starting lineup for the second straight game last night.

"It's not clear what precipitated the recurrence," said Morgan last night. "We're being extremely cautious with him. We don't want to have him miss two-three weeks. It really hasn't been that long (a recovery time) for that type of injury."

-- STEVEN KRASNER