Boone visits Astros
Aaron Boone returned to the ballpark Wednesday for the first time since open heart surgery, still waiting to decide whether he’ll resume his playing career.
“You want to see my scar?” the Houston Astros infielder said, greeting reporters. He lifted his T-shirt to reveal a thin, bright pink line that ran from the middle of his chest up to his collarbone.
“I feel good,” said a noticeably thinner Boone, who has dropped about 15 pounds since the surgery. “I’m six weeks tomorrow and I feel a lot better than I did two weeks ago, and it’s definitely getting better all the time.”
Boone, 36, had surgery March 26 to replace a bicuspid aortic valve. He was diagnosed with a congenital defect in his heart where the valve has two – not the normal three – cusps to manage blood flow.
Boone said he’s thought a lot about his future.
“I don’t want to get too ahead of myself, but I’m certainly not cashing it in yet,” he said. “We’ll see where I am four weeks from now, six weeks from now and go from there.”
The Astros celebrated Boone’s recovery on the same day they learned hitting coach Sean Berry has what doctors believe is a cancerous tumor on his kidney.
Rodriguez slides
Alex Rodriguez slid for the first time since hip surgery, going 1 for 5 with a walk in a New York Yankees extended spring training game at Dunedin, Fla.
Rodriguez said he doesn’t know whether he’ll rejoin the Yankees on Friday in Baltimore.
Clearing the bases
Rick Ankiel remained out of the St. Louis Cardinals’ lineup, two days after crashing headfirst into the center-field wall while making a running catch. Manager Tony La Russa said the Cardinals would likely wait a few more days before deciding on whether to put Ankiel on the 15-day disabled list. … Second baseman Alexi Casilla has been sent to Triple-A Rochester by the Minnesota Twins, who tired of his lack of hustle and his struggles at the plate. … Florida Marlins reliever Scott Proctor will have his troublesome right elbow examined next week by specialist Dr. James Andrews. … Dontrelle Willis of the Detroit Tigers took a step in his recovery from anxiety disorder, pitching into the eighth inning and allowing two runs for Triple-A Toledo at Pawtucket, R.I. … The New York Mets will place left-hander Oliver Perez on the disabled list today because of tendinitis in his right knee.