DENVER � Suspended outfielder Manny Ramirez will be sent to the minor leagues for a week to 10 days as part of a rehabilitation assignment prior to rejoining the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ramirez is serving a 50-game ban for violating baseball�s drug policy. He�s eligible to rejoin the Dodgers on July 3.
Manager Joe Torre said before the Dodgers� game against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday that Ramirez has been doing conditioning work on his own in California but may soon go to the team�s spring training facility in Glendale, Ariz., to work out.
While the Dodgers are still developing a plan for his return, Torre said Ramirez would need some time in the minors to get ready to return to Los Angeles.
�We�ve still got a ways to go with him,� Torre said. �The most important thing was getting all the cobwebs cleaned out with all the things he�s going through and that he�ll continue to go through until he gets back and starts playing and the questions sort of taper off.�
Torre said he hasn�t spoken with Ramirez in recent days but the team knows he has been working hard on his own to stay in shape. The manager also said he�s looking forward to Ramirez going to the Dodgers� spring facility to get more baseball-specific work.
�I think he�s not ready for that right now� because of the media attention that would generate, Torre said. �Eventually, obviously, he�s going to have to, but it hasn�t been spelled out yet exactly what he�s going to do anyway. More important now for him is to be in a routine and to get himself starting to think ahead as opposed to thinking about what�s been going on.�