B.J. Upton Aims At Return By Mid-April

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder B.J. Upton, aims at returning to the field during the April 10-19 road trip to Detroit, Boston, and Toronto after suffering a back injury early in Spring Training, according to The Tampa Bay Times.

"That's what we're shooting for,'' Upton told the Times this morning.

Upton said that he ran and threw on Sunday and felt good during a workout today. The Rays will give Upton time to rehab and see live pitching, however, before they throw him into the big league lineup.

"I wanted to be back for opening day and I think everybody as a hole was trying to get me ready for opening day, and that may have not necessarily been the thing to do in this situation,'' Upton said. "So I'm glad we just let it rest and it's getting better. That's all we can ask for right now.''