Rasmus to rejoin Blue Jays, but only for rehab

MINNEAPOLIS -- Colby Rasmus is expected to rejoin the Blue Jays in the near future, but it's only to continue his rehab, as there's still no timetable for the center fielder's return to the lineup.

Rasmus, who is on the 15-day disabled list with a strained oblique muscle, has been working out at the club's Minor League complex in Florida for the past several weeks.

That activity in Florida will likely come to an end, because the Minor League season wrapped up last week, but Rasmus still has rehab work to do.

"He's making progress. I think the plan is he may join us pretty soon, because the season is over down there and there's not much going on at the complex," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "I don't know that for a fact, but he'll probably end up joining us at home."

The Blue Jays still haven't ruled out a return for Rasmus this season, but each passing day without a timetable makes getting back onto the field increasingly unlikely. Gibbons said he had "no idea" whether Rasmus could make it back, but with only 21 games remaining, there isn't much room for error.

The 27-year-old was originally supposed to resume baseball activities in late August, but he suffered a setback and has been closely monitored ever since. He has been out since Aug. 11 and is hitting .273 with 18 homers and 60 RBIs while posting an .812 OPS.