Mike

Sweeney

Harvey isn’t necessarily a better first baseman than Sweeney, but if putting Sweeney at DH would help him avoid injuries, it would be a move worth making.

Sweeney left in the top of the third inning because of tightness in his lower back. Harvey was hit on the right elbow with a pitch in the third inning, and left in the bottom of the fifth. With Matt Stairs on the DL, it will be interesting to see who the Royals trot out at first base.

He will be re-examined in Kansas City this afternoon, but all signs point to Sweeney being disabled as early as today.

Sweeney, who has a herniated disk in his back, received a cortisone injection yesterday to help ease his pain. He will get another shot next week and rest for two weeks before being re-evaluated. X-rays of Sweeney’s back were sent to noted back specialist Dr. Robert Watkins for further medical review. None of this sounds very encouraging for Sweeney. Don’t count on anything from him for the balance of the season.

He should be able to rehab the injury without any corrective medical procedure. Sweeney is expected to be healthy for spring training in 2005.

Sweeney has not progressed enough in his recovery from a back injury to play this evening. However, he should be back in the Royals’ lineup soon.

He participated in a full pre-game workout yesterday for the first time since he was diagnosed with a herniated disk in late August. Although he may be a little rusty, Sweeney should be added to your fantasy lineup as soon as he is active with the Royals.

Ken Harvey continues to fill in at first base for Sweeney. Owners with weekly transactions will want to wait for the latest report before deciding what to do with Sweeney next week.

''It’s playable, definitely,’' Sweeney said. Manager Tony Pena estimates Sweeney at 80 percent and would prefer to have him pain-free before starting him.

Sweeney has already been nursing a wrist injury for about four weeks. You’ll want to keep him active unless this takes a turn for the worse.