Caminiti Returns to Padre Lineup

San Diego third baseman Ken Caminiti, the 1996 National League Most Valuable Player, was activated from the disabled list and had two singles in three at-bats in a 9-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night.

Caminiti had been on the disabled list since May 12th after injuring his right hamstring in a 5-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds the previous day.

Extended rest is rare for Caminiti, 34, who had shoulder surgery three days after the Padres were knocked out of the 1996 playoffs and was expected to miss a chunk of the early part of the season.

But he backed up his own predictions by playing in the season opener, solidifying his reputation as one of the game’s toughest players. He is batting .241 with four homers and 18 runs batted in.

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Houston outfielder Bob Abreu has a fractured bone in his right wrist and is expected to be sidelined six to eight weeks.

Abreu, batting .245 with two home runs and 19 RBIs, was hit by a pitch Saturday in a game at Colorado.

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Cincinnati outfielder Deion Sanders was given permission to miss the Reds’ game against Philadelphia to attend to personal matters, but showed up in time for pregame warmups and was a last-minute addition to the lineup. Sanders, the only Red to play in all 50 games, had a single and a triple against the Phillies.

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Montreal first baseman David Segui missed his second consecutive game in the Expos’ 5-4 victory over New York and is listed as day-to-day because of a series of leg injuries. The most serious of Segui’s ailments is a contusion to his left knee.