Torre and the Dodgers are pretty tight lipped about what Furcal’s rehab will consist of or when he might return to the lineup. Furcal was spotted taking some swings on Sunday and has been throwing the ball periodcally as well. Torre and Furcal have both commented previously that a brief trip to the minor leagues to enable some in-game rehab was also probably in order, but not much more has been shared at this time.

Furcal has been sidelined since early May with a lower back strain. He has undergone an MRI and also seen a spine specialist to ensure the diagnosis is accurate and the treatment addresses his injury. This type of injury is nothing new for Rafael, who ended up riding the pine for the last 12 games of last season with similar back problems.

Before heading to the DL, Furcal led the Major Leagues with 49 hits and his batting average (.366) was second best. Furcal’s replacements (Maza and Hu) have been mediocre in their offense, and haven’t managed to get on base since May 23rd.