St. Louis manager Matheny returns to dugout

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) - St. Louis manager Mike Matheny will be back in the dugout for Saturday's game against Washington, one day after dealing with food poisoning and a herniated disk.

He missed a trip to play the Houston Astros in Kissimmee on Friday.

"If I didn't have the food poisoning, I probably would have made trip,'' Matheny said. "But between the two, it would have been a long ride.''

Matheny said he is feeling better after dealing with the "double whammy.''

The 42-year-old believes the herniated disk is "all part of the joys of catching.'' He said he had a bulge on the other side of the same disk during his final year with San Francisco.

Matheny expects to manage against Minnesota on Monday following an appointment for an epidural.