Matheny dealing with food poisoning, back pain

JUPITER, Fla. -- A day after being hit by, as he described it, a "double-whammy" of discomfort, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny was back in the dugout on Saturday.

Bench coach Mike Aldrete served as manager in Kissimmee, Fla., on Friday while Matheny was dealing with food poisoning and a herniated disc that was radiating pain into his right leg.

Matheny said he had a bulging disc that bothered the left side of his body in 2006, his final year with the Giants. He managed it sufficiently enough at the time, though the recurrence of pain this week will be addressed with an epidural shot on Monday morning. Matheny said that he does not anticipate that affecting his availability to run workouts and manage the team later that day.

"I was wondering how long I'd be able to make it with my back," he said. "I don't know what happened to make it go to the other side. It might just be that it's a weakened area. It's all a part of the joys of catching."