Sanders to Play 2 Sports : Baseball/Football: He signs for $2 million and practices with Falcons, then scores winning run for Braves.

Pro Bowl cornerback Deion Sanders spent 2 1/2 hours Thursday on the practice field with the Atlanta Falcons after reversing his decision to play only baseball with the Braves for the rest of their season.

Sanders took a physical in the morning, reported to the Falcons’ complex shortly before the team’s scheduled 1 p.m. practice and was on the field about 17 minutes after the workout began.

The two-sport star declined to comment before or after practice.

He had a 20-minute meeting of defensive backs after practice and then headed down Interstate 85 to Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium for the Braves’ game against the Cincinnati Reds. Sanders scored the winning run as a pinch-runner in the ninth inning as the Braves stretched their NL West lead to 9 1/2 games with a 3-2 victory.

Coach Jerry Glanville wouldn’t say whether Sanders would be in the lineup when the Falcons play the Redskins in Washington on Sunday.

“It’s a day-to-day thing,” Glanville said after practice. “Unfortunately for him, there’s no way we can have full-speed contact.”

“We reached an agreement that allows him to accomplish another of his dreams, and that is to participate in both baseball and football as much as he can at the same time,” said Sanders’ agent, Eugene Parker.

Parker declined to spell out details of the contract, which is believed to be worth about $2 million for the 1992 season. Sanders previously had a $750,000 contract for the season.

Parker said the Falcons agreed to free Sanders to return to baseball next month for any postseason play.

Parker said that for the remainder of baseball’s regular season, Sanders’ primary responsibility will be with the Falcons, who agreed to let him participate in Braves’ home games, time permitting.

“So he’ll be shuttling back and forth as much as he can while they’re in town,” Parker said “The priority will be football until the baseball postseason starts.”

Brave General Manager John Schuerholz said he was not surprised by the agreement.

“This was originally our idea,” Schuerholz said. “We had originally agreed to accommodate football during the month of September. I have been assured he will be here for all postseason games, but right now I’m not sure which games he’ll play in September. I’ve told his agent to speak directly to (Manager) Bobby (Cox) about his availability.”

Sanders has been nursing a pulled muscle in his right side, but Glanville said he wasn’t aware that Sanders was injured.

During the practice, Sanders grabbed his side after running down field on pass coverage. The workout was in shorts, with the team running dummy signals.

“I’m thrilled,” Glanville said. “He’ll make me look like a great coach.

“This is a unique situation. It probably won’t happen many times. It’s an unusual situation that a guy has the God-given talent to play both sports,” Glanville said.

At the baseball stadium, Cox also appeared pleased with the agreement.

“We get him when he’s not busy with them, the playoffs and World Series and all of next year,” Cox said. “It sounds good to me. I’d like to have him every day, but we’ll get him for all of the 1993 season. I think it’s worth it.”