Sweeney getting healthy, but playing time unknown

Here's the good. Ryan Sweeney is getting healthy.

Here's the bad. It doesn't look like he's an every day player.

“I have no clue,” Sweeney said last week when asked about his role is this season for the Oakland Athletics. “Obviously, you read things on the Internet that say I'm a fourth outfielder now. I've never been a part-time player, a fourth outfielder before.”

Sweeney was speaking via telephone from Phoenix, where he's a very early arrival for A's spring training. A lot of that has to do with testing out his surgically repaired right knee.

The 25-year-old Xavier High School graduate has suffered from chronic patellar tendinitis and opted to go under the knife last August, cutting his 2010 season to 81 games. Sweeney also has a balky left knee that has been treated with rest and rehab.

“I'd say I'm about 90 percent right now,” Sweeney said. “I'll be ready for opening day.”

The question is what he'll be doing on opening day. Sitting or playing?

The A's had a busy off-season, acquiring outfielders David DeJesus and Josh Willingham, among others. With Coco Crisp back in center field, that would seem to leave Sweeney on the outside looking in for playing time.

“I'm not taking that (as a given),” Sweeney said. “It's one of those situations that I'm using for motivation. I don't want to be a fourth outfielder, I want to play every day.

“But if I have to be a utility player or something, I'll deal with that as it comes. Anything to stay in the major leagues.”

Last year's injury couldn't have come at a worse time for Sweeney, who became arbitration eligible for the first time this off-season. He signed a one-year, $1.4-million contract with Oakland in December.

A second-round draft pick of the Chicago White Sox in 2003, the knock on Sweeney throughout his career has been a lack of power. He always has hit for average, coming into this season a .286 major league hitter.

But his career high for home runs and RBIs is just six and 53, respectively, coming in 2009 when he played 132 games. He also had 31 doubles that season.

Is this is a defining season in his career?

“Every year is right now,” Sweeney said. “Just getting past the salary arbitration point last year, that was the biggest year of my career. Unfortunately, I got hurt.

“You just go year to year. When you sign a one-year deal, it's tough. The ultimate goal for me, obviously, is to sign a multiyear contract somewhere.”

Whether that's in Oakland or Toronto or Philadelphia or Chicago ...

The biggest thing right now is being fully healthy. Sweeney feels he's getting there.

“I'm just waiting for our strength and conditioning coach to get here to see what he wants me to do,” Sweeney said. “I don't have that pain in my knee anymore. Don't have that pinching feeling.

“I feel like 100-percent better, for sure.”