Craig Gentry (back) will play six innings as the designated hitter in a minor league game Tuesday. Gentry has been slow to recover from a lower back strain suffered in late February and will begin the season on the disabled list. However, he should be ready to return by mid-April if he can avoid setbacks.

Craig Gentry (back) will begin the season on the disabled list. The glacial pace at which Gentry recovered from the lower back strain he suffered in late February forced skipper Bob Melvin's hand. Gentry is aiming for a mid-April return. This revelation is probably good news for Michael Taylor, who is out of options.

Craig Gentry (back) and Ryan Cook (shoulder) remain question marks for the Opening Day roster, reports the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser, but both will be ready to return early in the season if not. Gentry has been slow to recover from a lower back strain. Cook's shoulder inflammation may keep him out until the middle of next month. Whenever he returns, he'll serve as the primary setup man to new Oakland closer Jim Johnson. They'll aid in each other's recovery Wednesday when Gentry hits off Cook in batting practice.

Craig Gentry (back) will take a full batting practice Monday. It comes after he took some BP off coaches Sunday. Gentry is unlikely to be ready to play in games this week, but it shouldn't be far off. It will close as to whether he'll have time to get ready for Opening Day.

Craig Gentry (back) will take batting practice off coaches Sunday. It will only be half of a session, but it's better than nothing. Gentry has been slow to recover from a lower back strain and isn't a given to be ready for Opening Day.

Athletics manager Bob Melvin said Friday that Craig Gentry (back) is close to taking batting practice. He's slowly making progress in his recovery from a lower back strain, but his availability for Opening Day remains in question. The speedy outfielder is likely to see a decent amount of playing time in the A's outfield this season, and his speed makes him a worthwhile target in the later stages of AL-only and mixed league drafts.

Craig Gentry (back) hit off a tee Monday, but Oakland still doesn't have a timetable for his return to game action. His activity on the practice fields is slowly increasing each day, so it's only a matter of time before he steps between the lines. Gentry has yet to make his Cactus League debut due to a lower back strain. Acquired from the Rangers over the winter, Gentry batted .288 with a .365 on-base percentage last season in Texas.

Craig Gentry (back) is expected to do some workouts Monday. Gentry has yet to make his Cactus League debut due to a lower back strain, but he was able to run in the outfield on Sunday. While he's making progress, his status for the start of the season remains in doubt.

Athletics manager Bob Melvin said Thursday that Craig Gentry (back) is "very close" to returning to the field. While he's nearly ready to do drills again, there's no timetable for his Cactus League debut. "Once we get him out on a field, we'll see how many at-bats we can get him," Melvin said. "To an extent, a lot of it has to do with how he feels, first physically, and then at the plate." Melvin reiterated that he expects Gentry to be ready for Opening Day.

Craig Gentry (back) will be held out of all activity for another 10 days. Gentry is dealing with a lower back strain. The team has been nonchalant about the issue to this point, but there may be some cause for concern now that it appears the injury will cause him to miss more than two weeks. Still, this could just be the A's being overly cautious as not to have the issue linger into the regular season. Gentry's absence will afford non-roster invite Sam Fuld an extended opportunity to make the club.