Lind returns to action against A's

OAKLAND -- Adam Lind made his return to the Blue Jays' lineup on Monday night, just one day after he was forced to sit out a game against the Astros because of a back injury.

Lind has been plagued by back injuries in each of the past three seasons and it's something that likely will never completely go away. As a result, he has to manage the injuries to ensure they don't turn into a long-term problem.

That will require sitting out a game every now and then, but it's much better than the alternative, which would be attempting to play through the pain and risk requiring a stint on the 15-day disabled list.

"He felt better today," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said Monday. "Yesterday, when he got to the ballpark it tightened up on him. He took a little [batting practice] but was good to pinch-hit. He felt fine today."

Lind missed 28 games last season and an additional 24 in 2011 with soreness in his back. He has since changed his workout routine to help strengthen the area and has missed only a handful of games this season because of the lingering pain.

The 30-year-old entered play on Monday night hitting .291 with 12 homers and 39 RBIs in 89 games this season. He was unable to start on Sunday against the Astros but did enter the game in the ninth inning as a pitch-hitter after right fielder Jose Bautista was ejected for arguing with the home-plate umpire.