DUNEDIN - Playing for the first time this spring, Vernon Wells went hitless in his two at bats as the designated hitter against the Tampa Bay Rays, grounding into a 6-4-3 double play in his first at bat and flying out to center in his second. It was hishttp://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/mar/20/wells-makes-first-spring-appearance/ target=”top”> first appearance of the spring after straining his left hamstring during workouts last month.  It is the same hamstring that hobbled him late in the season and limited him to only 108 games for the Jays. 

“They wanted me to be cautious since we’re in Spring Training,” Wells said. “If this was during the season, I would’ve been playing a week, week and a half ago,” the outfielder said.

Utley tests hip, ready to push it further
Chase Utley is getting ready to put his hip to the nine-inning test.

Utley played into the sixth inning Friday on his surgically repaired hip and had two hits and scored a run as the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals played to a 2-2 tie in 10 innings. He had three at-bats for the first time in four games this spring.

“Those are the steps we’re going to make pretty soon,” Utley said. “Everything has felt good as far as getting my timing down and so far everything has felt good with my hip.”

Utley had a piece of the labrum shaved off his hip on Nov. 24. The Phillies were told he would need four to six months before he could return to the lineup but he played in a minor league intrasquad game Saturday and made his spring debut Sunday. He expects to be ready for opening day on April 5.

Mauer says he won’t be ready for opening day
FORT MYERS - Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer said Friday he won’t be ready to play by opening day due to lingering pain and inflammation in his lower back.

The reigning AL batting champion isn’t sure when he’ll be able to return.

“We really don’t have a timetable,” Mauer said. “It all just depends on how I feel. Hopefully, it will be sooner than later. There’s good days and bad days.

Mauer has inflammation in the sacroiliac joint, which connects the spine to the pelvis. Mauer traveled to Baltimore on March 14 to seek a second opinion for the injury.

“We know it’s in there,” Mauer said of the inflammation. “We just have to get it out.”

Mauer had offseason surgery Dec. 22 to remove a blockage from one of his kidneys, but he said this injury isn’t related to that. The two-time All-Star has been limited in spring training because of his back problems.

Orioles’ Uehara throws pain-free in bullpen
FORT LAUDERDALE - Baltimore Orioles right-hander Koji Uehara threw 54 pitches in a pain-free bullpen session Friday and will throw batting practice Sunday if his left hamstring strain doesn’t show any lingering soreness.

Uehara, who has been sidelined since a two-inning stint during a March 9 spring training game, is hoping to make his first scheduled regular season start on April 8.

Right-hander Danys Baez, bidding for one of three open spots in the Orioles’ rotation, allowed four runs and seven hits in 4 2-3 innings in a 4-0 loss to the New York Met. His 4 2-3 innings matched the longest outing by a Baltimore starter this spring.

AP Wires were used in this report.