Boone ready to start his rehab

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Aaron Boone walked into Cleveland's clubhouse, saw the new jersey hanging in his locker and realized just how much he had missed playing.
"I've never taken things like that for granted," Boone said, gesturing toward the No. 17 uniform with "BOONE" stitched across the shoulders. "But it was pretty exciting to see that again."
Boone moved closer to his major league comeback on Saturday, arriving in Cleveland to continue his recovery after offseason knee surgery.
A postseason hero for the New York Yankees last October, Boone signed a $3.6 million, two-year contract with the Indians on June 26, four months after reconstructive surgery on left knee ligaments he tore while playing in a pickup basketball game.
"It feels good to be back," Boone said before Saturday's doubleheader. "I'm looking forward to getting out there in the field and running the bases."
Boone will work out at Jacobs Field for the next few weeks before a minor league rehabilitation assignment at Double-A Akron. Barring setbacks, Boone will join the Indians in late August.
He has been hitting soft-toss for more than a month, and Boone began taking some grounders to test his knee earlier this week.