Aloha Alou

Moises Alou is currently working on his rehabilitation - again. But Jerry Manuel acknowledged that he is preparing for the possibility that Alou will never return.

"I probably have to plan that way," Manuel said. "But I would hope differently because he's such a tremendous hitter. I can't plan that that bat will be back in the fifth or sixth spot or fourth spot or wherever you put him in. But I can always hope for that to happen and that would be a tremendous pleasant surprise if it manifests that he's back in the lineup for an extended period of time."

Alou began this season by hoping for 500 at-bats, convinced that he was in prime health despite being 41 years old. But he suffered a hernia at the start of spring and didn't return until May 2. He got 47 at bats in, hitting .340 - like he always does. But he went down again, this time with a strained left calf.

Another stint on the DL brought him back June 10 - and after two at-bats he was feeling it again and was back on the DL. Manuel said he hasn't heard it from Alou or based it on medical evidence, but he believes that the frustration must be driving him to the end of his career.

"It's just that Moises, the tremendous warrior that he is, wants to play and I know how frustrating it is," Manuel said. "I've known him for a long time and how frustrating it's been for him. And there's got to be some thoughts of, 'I've had enough. This is to the point where it's not fun for me,' and somewhat embarrassing for him. That's why I have to think along the lines of him not being there. But I hope and encourage him that I've love to see you in there. I think Moises can probably hit until he's probably about 65 years old. Whether he can run now is a different thing.

"I think he's determined to get back. I think he wants to get back, but I do believe that if this happens in the fashion that it happened before, I think he'll have some serious problems, and he'll head to the house."