Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Sluggger Jose Canseco back with Devil Rays

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Saturday, August 21, 1999

Sluggger Jose Canseco back with Devil Rays
Batter recovers long before expected September return
By Fred Goodall
Associated Press

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - There was never any doubt in Jose Canseco's mind that he would play again this season. The only question he couldn't answer is how well.
   The 35-year-old slugger returned to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' lineup Friday night, less than six weeks after surgery repaired a herniated disc in his back.
   Doctors originally thought the earliest he could come off the disabled list would be Sept. 1.
   But the pain in Canseco's back was gone the day after surgery, and his rehabilitation went so smoothly that even a cautious Devil Rays front office couldn't make a convincing argument for holding him back.
   "I'm going a lot by what he's telling me, as well as the program he's been on," said manager Larry Rothschild, who made the decision to activate Canseco after throwing batting practice to him on Thursday.
   "It doesn't mean he's going to play every day right now. I may give him days off, just to keep him healthy. The object is to keep feeling good, not to have him feel good and play him until he feels bad."
   Canseco had surgery July 11, two days after injuring his back against the Florida Marlins. He had similar surgery in 1996 when he was with Boston, and felt that experience helped his recovery this time.
   "It's a lot easier. It was almost no big deal to me," Canseco said before facing the Kansas City Royals. "It was like: `OK, my back went bad, go in, have surgery and let's go.' It was like my 30,000-mile checkup. Cut me open, check me out and put me back together."
   Canseco was voted the AL's starting designated hitter for the All-Star game and was leading the AL with 31 homers when he was injured.
   In addition to helping a team that went 14-21 without him, Canseco was eager to get back to the lineup to resume the quest for his 500th career homer.
   He is 72 shy of the plateau, and also hasn't given up on the idea of catching AL home run leader Ken Griffey, Jr., and winning this season's title.
   Despite not playing since July 9, Canseco only trailed Griffey by six.
   "This is not a far reach as far as what he's done in the past," Rothschild said of the speedy recovery.
   "The last time he came back from this, it was 48 days. This is his 42nd day. And this surgery was a lot less intrusive than the last time he had it done. The scar is a lot smaller."
   Canseco trotted onto the field for pregame warmups to the applause of teammates and hit the first pitch to him in batting practice for a home run.
   Despite swinging the bat well in workouts, he said it will take a while to regain his timing under game conditions.
   "It could take a couple of days. It could be a week," he said. "It's impossible to tell."
   To make room on the roster for Canseco, the Devil Rays put infielder David Lamb on the disabled list with a back strain.

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