Kotsay returning to Oakland for back treatment

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Oakland Athletics outfielder Mark Kotsay will return to the Bay Area to get treatment for his injured back and is not expected to play until Friday.

Mark Kotsay

Center Field Oakland Athletics Profile

2006 SEASON STATISTICS GM HR RBI R OBP AVG 115 7 53 53 .330 .274

Kotsay missed six games with back spasms from Aug. 7-13. He has appeared in 17 of the Athletics' last 29 games.

"The way he is now, there's no conceivable way he can play in the next few days," Oakland trainer Larry Davis said. "Now is not the time to be conservative. We have to be aggressive."

Kotsay is hitting .274 with seven homers and 53 RBI in 115 games.

Oakland right-hander Rich Harden, out since June 5 with a sprained ligament in his right elbow, is scheduled to throw a simulated game on Monday.

"He's at the point where he needs to start," Davis said. "Whether it's with the instructional league team or whatever, we have to be imaginative because of the time."

Harden is 3-0 with a 3.86 ERA in six starts this season.

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press

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