After unexpected DL stint, for Drew "it's definitely time to go"

When Stephen Drew came down with the flu shortly after the All-Star break, the veteran infielder couldn't have anticipated he wouldn't be able to make a full return to the Nationals for another seven weeks.

Then again, how could anyone have anticipated that seemingly innocent illness would lead to an inner-ear condition that left Drew with extreme bouts of dizziness that resembled vertigo and made many daily routines, let alone anything that takes place on a baseball field, difficult to accomplish?

"It's definitely something that you don't expect after getting sick," Drew said. "But it's good to be back with the team."

Drew officially is back today, activated off the disabled list and available to manager Dusty Baker off the bench. He admittedly still deals with some of the symptoms, so the club will be careful and try to ease him back into game action. But the Nationals are grateful to have one of their key bench players back after an unexpectedly prolonged absence.

"He's champing at the bit, and we're glad to have him back," Baker said. "We're not really sure to what capacity we're going to use him yet, because we've still got to see. We've still got to be cautious about how much, and when or whatever it is. I'm asking him to be as honest with us as possible, tell us if he feels anything. That's a dangerous game out there that we play, especially if you've got something wrong with you."

Drew was riding a hot streak at the plate before turning ill in mid-July, hitting .340 with four homers, seven doubles and 10 RBIs over his previous 21 games. He sat out four games while sick, then returned to deliver a walk-off, pinch-hit triple July 23 to beat the Padres.

The 33-year-old already was dealing with odd dizzy spells at that point, though, and when they didn't dissipate after a few days, the Nationals placed him on the DL. He spent the next month resting, getting tests from doctors and engaging in some light baseball activities.

It wasn't until after he received a shot in his ear two weeks ago that Drew was able to ramp up his activities and eventually go on a rehab assignment with Single-A Potomac.

"I started noticing benefits from that," he said. "It's not all the way gone yet, but it's a lot better than it was. There's still some times that it's hit-or-miss, but for the most part it's pretty good. So that's the good thing. Hopefully it just kind of keeps going in the direction we want."

For now, Drew is available to pinch-hit off the bench. Sometime soon, Baker hopes to feel confident enough to have Drew start a game in the field, desperately wanting to give Anthony Rendon, Danny Espinosa and Daniel Murphy more days off during the season's final 3 1/2 weeks.

"I wish I could've gotten back up here right after the sickness, but it didn't work that way," Drew said. "The cards weren't in the mix there. So right now it's fun to be back. I've been watching every game, kind of driving me nuts just sitting around. So it's definitely time to go."