The Associated Press

CLEVELAND - Aaron Boone walked into Cleveland's clubhouse, saw the new jersey hanging in his locker and realized just how much he had missed playing.

"I've never taken things like that for granted," Boone said, gesturing toward the No. 17 uniform with "BOONE" stitched across the shoulders. "But it was pretty exciting to see that again."

Boone moved closer to his comeback Saturday, arriving in Cleveland to continue his recovery after offseason knee surgery.

A postseason hero for the New York Yankees last season, Boone signed a two-year contract with the Indians June 26, four months after undergoing surgery on left knee ligaments he tore playing in a pickup basketball game.

"It feels good to be back," Boone said. "I'm looking forward to getting out there in the field and running the bases."

Boone, 31, will work out at Jacobs Field for the next few weeks before he's sent out on a minor-league rehab assignment at Double-A Akron. As long as he doesn't have any setbacks, Boone will join the Indians in late August.

BLUE JAYS: Former Cy Young Award winner Pat Hentgen retired Saturday in the middle of a poor season.

The 35-year-old right-hander is 2-9 with a 6.95 ERA after returning to the Blue Jays last offseason.

"It's been a tough grind for me, mentally and physically," Hentgen said. "I'm not just helping the club like I want to. I always told myself I would retire from baseball if I felt like I couldn't do what I'm used to doing. I think it's the right time."

Hentgen won the 1996 AL Cy Young Award, going 20-10 with a 3.22 ERA. The three-time All-Star spent 14 seasons in the majors, going 131-112 with a 4.32 ERA.

METS: Playing first base could become a long-term affair for Ty Wigginton with New York thinking about increasing Mike Piazza's catching duties.

Piazza figures to miss several more days with the injury and when he returns to the lineup, it could be back behind the plate, where he has hit more home runs than any other catcher in the history of baseball. It's a thought that has occurred to manager Art Howe, who had been giving Piazza more playing time at first.

"I've talked to Mike about increasing his catching time," Howe said Saturday. "He said: 'Whatever you think. Whatever will help the team win games, I'm willing to do it.' "