01:00 AM EST on Monday, March 6, 2006

Second baseman Pokey Reese's contract was terminated yesterday by the Florida Marlins, who said they were disappointed not to receive an explanation regarding his abrupt departure from spring training.

Reese went home following a workout Wednesday without notifying the Marlins. They later heard twice from his agent, but not directly from Reese, general manager Larry Beinfest said.

"I think that the 72 hours that have passed is more than a reasonable amount of time for him to offer some explanation for his unexcused absence," Beinfest said. "We still do not have that explanation, and we're moving on."

The 32-year-old infielder has coped with a succession of tragedies, including the death of his fiancee 13 years ago. His agent, Mike Nicotera, said Reese went home to deal with personal issues.

"Pokey is fine," Nicotera said. "He's with family. When personal feelings are involved, it's very difficult to put a timetable on the resolution of those."

Nicotera said he hoped Reese would play again. The agent spoke shortly before the Marlins released Reese and didn't return subsequent phone calls seeking comment. It was unclear whether Reese was in his native Columbia, S.C., or in Charlotte, N.C., where he also has family.

"The expectations of this organization (are) that as a professional you'd have the courtesy to at least notify us why he left," Beinfest said. "If he was a young player maybe without any experience, you may have a little bit different tack, but this guy's been around. We're extremely disappointed."

ROUNDUP MECHE IDLED: Mariners starting pitcher Gil Meche has a strained oblique muscle on his left side and will miss his scheduled spring training start today. "It's not a major injury, but in a baseball player, particularly a pitcher. . . . you've got to be very cautious and very conservative," trainer Rick Griffin said yesterday. "We're not going to let him pick a ball up for three days," Griffin said. "We're not going to take any chances with this because of the nature of the injury." The 27-year-old Meche, projected as Seattle's No. 4 starter, will be re-evaluated by team doctors after three days, Griffin said.

HAIRSTON HIT IN HEAD : Cubs second baseman Jerry Hairston was taken to an Arizona hospital after being hit in the head by a pitch yesterday in a game against the Giants. After Cubs starter Rich Hill hit two batters in a scoreless top of the first, Hairston took a pitch to the helmet from Kevin Correia with one out in the bottom half. Hairston stayed down for a couple of minutes before walking off the field. "It was frightening at first because you heard that loud sound," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said. "They've got a new-style helmet now. I hope it works. It has a little less padding and more holes, I guess to absorb the shock." The Cubs initially announced Hairston was taken to Mesa (Ariz.) Lutheran Hospital for a precautionary CAT scan, but trainer Mark O'Neal said Hairston went to Mesa Banner Hospital. O'Neal said Hairston showed none of the common symptoms of head injuries, such as nausea, dizziness or a ringing in the ears.

HOME AT LAST: Major League Baseball took a major step today toward resolving an impasse over a home for the Washington Nationals, signing a lease for a new ballpark. One day before the deadline imposed by the District of Columbia Council, baseball signed the lease approved by the Council last month. The lease calls for a ballpark to be built along the Anacostia River, south of the Capitol, with a provision capping the city's spending for the project at $611 million. Baseball, which will not select a new owner for the team until a lease is in place, had expressed concern over the cap, which altered the original 2004 agreement that brought the team from Montreal last season.