When the Royals welcome the Red Sox to Kauffman Stadium Tuesday, they’ll also welcome back one of their own. Mike Sweeney has been out of the Royals lineup since May 1 suffering from a bulging disk in his back. He’s spent time in the Royals’ minor league system rehabbing his back with fairly good results.

In five games with the AAA Omaha Royals, Sweeney was 5-for-15 with a home run, four RBI, and five walks. During the Royals 6-3 loss to Tacoma Sunday, Sweeney was 1-for-3 with an RBI double.

Sweeney hopes his injury problems are behind him, and soon, he can return to the kind of play that made him a five-time American League All-Star. He’s missed plenty of games in four of the last five seasons.