BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Rodgers Might Manage Friday

Angel Manager Buck Rodgers received medical clearance Monday to return to the dugout as soon as he feels ready. But Rodgers--who took his first steps without crutches Monday--said he will cautiously test his progress before deciding whether to return to managing Friday when the Angels play the Chicago White Sox at Anaheim Stadium.

“They gave me my walking papers and basically said the injury is healed,” said Rodgers, who underwent surgery on his left knee and right elbow because of injuries he suffered in the team’s bus crash May 21. “Now it’s just a matter of walking, seeing how long it takes to break my legs back in. My legs are still jelly-like after being sidelined 2 1/2 months.”

Rodgers said he thinks there is a 60% chance he will return Friday. If he does, he will have missed 70 games. Should he not feel confident then, he said, he might return next Monday or later in the six-game home stand, but he will not try to return while the team is on the road.

“I’m kind of tippy-toeing through the tulips, trying to get confidence with every step,” he said. “If I wake up in the morning with a swollen knee, I’ll have to back off.”

Rodgers has been eager to rejoin the Angels, a team he said “is playing super.”

Rodgers received clearance to return to the dugout from team orthopedist Lewis Yocum after an examination Monday.