Backing out? Canseco's All-Star status undetermined due to injury Click here for more on this story Posted: Saturday July 10, 1999 09:39 PM   Back again: Canseco is once again having a great season hampered by his bad back. AP MIAMI (AP) -- Tampa Bay slugger Jose Canseco, who leads the AL with 31 home runs, was sent home from the ballpark Saturday to rest his chronically ailing back. He is listed as day-to-day and it's not yet known how the injury will affect his status for Tuesday's All-Star Game. Canseco, batting .276 with 69 RBIs, was elected to start as the designated hitter. Canseco, who celebrated his 35th birthday July 2, came out of Friday's game in the eighth inning against Florida with a stiff back. He underwent an examination Saturday afternoon and, after arriving late to the ballpark, he was given permission to go to his Miami home. Canseco missed 12 games in June and July last year with similar back spasms, but didn't miss a start following the All-Star break. He had two separate stints on the DL due to back ailments in 1997. In 1996, Canseco underwent back surgery to remove fragments and also sustained a ruptured disc.   Related information Stories Midseason team reports: AL East First-half studs and duds Multimedia Click here for the latest audio and video Search our site Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call your cable operator or DirecTV. Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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