On the mend, Baylor meets with players and coaches

ANAHEIM -- Hitting coach Don Baylor was back at Angel Stadium on Tuesday, joining the team for the first time since suffering a fractured right femur while catching Vladimir Guerrero's ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day.

Baylor, still in a walker, was in the clubhouse for about an hour prior to the game, meeting with the coaching staff and chatting with his hitters.

"Just having Don walk in, you can still feel his presence," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "It's great to get caught up with him. We miss him."

Based on an earlier prognosis, the 64-year-old Baylor is still anywhere from one to three weeks away from being able to put weight on his right side. Scioscia hopes to get a better gauge for Baylor's ability to be around the team more frequently by the time it returns from its next road trip, through Toronto and Philadelphia, on May 15.

Baylor, mostly resting at his home in La Quinta, Calif., wasn't with the team for Wednesday's series finale against the Indians, but Scioscia is "sure he's going to be by" again during this nine-game homestand.

"I don't know how many times," Scioscia said. "He's making progress, but he still has a ways to go before we're going to see him in the dugout, and it's still an effort for him to get in and move around a little bit."

Baylor, Scioscia added, has been "as connected as you can be" and "definitely has some lineup opinions that are very helpful."

Asked if Baylor would approve of batting Howie Kendrick leadoff on back-to-back days, Scioscia smirked and said: "He's good with the direction we're going."