Since suffering torn ligaments in his ankle last May –– an injury that ended his 2011 season –– the 27-year-old has been sidelined. Linares suffered the setback as he slid into second base during a game in Pawtucket.
His injury put a damper on an otherwise promising 17-game stint in Triple-A, where Linares slammed three homers and knocked in 12 RBIs. Now, the Cuban slugger is aching to return and showcase that power.
"It's not easy being at home and being in pain after surgery and seeing everyone else out there while I have the urge to play," Linares told NESN.com. "For me, that's been the worst part of the injury."
Ever since the season-ending surgery, Linares has been in Fort Myers rehabbing for his well-awaited return. To regain trust in his ankle, the outfielder has aggressively worked on balancing exercises. In the process, he's also tried to shed weight.
Although Linares is back in camp and on the Red Sox' 40-man roster, he isn't quite at 100 percent just yet.
"I'm stretching every morning because it's still a little tight," Linares said. "But you know, that's part of the recovery process and I'm just working a lot on stretching on the back side [of the ankle] for now."
Linares has been healthy enough to shift his focus back to hitting. As he toiled in Fort Myers over the past few months, he's spent extra time with Red Sox minor league hitting coordinator Victor Rodriguez to continue his development at the plate.
During last season's spring training campaign, Linares had Boston manager Terry Francona raving about his performance. With the vacancies open in the Red Sox outfield, Linares could emerge as a sleeper candidate for 2012.
"My mentality is just to play baseball and if they give me the opportunity [to compete in the outfield], I'll do the best possible," Linares said. "Where they want to send me, I'll always go hard."
For Linares, playing anywhere just beats waiting at home.
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