CHICAGO (Reuters) - Houston Astros infielder Aaron Boone completed a rousing return to Major League Baseball on Wednesday, playing his first game since undergoing open heart surgery five months ago.
The 36-year-old started at first base and went 0-for-3 as the Astros were beaten 2-0 by the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
"It was great to get back out there and be a part of a real game," Boone, who had two fly outs and a ground out, told reporters after playing in all nine innings.
"It didn't go our way but it was certainly good to get out there and get the competitive juices going and deal with your nerves. I felt pretty good.
"I was a little nervous being in the field," the 11-year league veteran said. "I was fine last night and all today, but running out there I was a little nervous.
"I got into the flow of the game pretty quick. At first, you handle the ball a lot and it kind of gets you into it, and once you get going, it felt pretty good."
Boone, who had heart surgery on March 26, joined the team last weekend in Arizona after playing 11 games in a minor league rehabilitation assignment.
"It's just remarkable he's come this far," Astros manager Cecil Cooper said. "When this first happened, my thoughts were just on him getting healthy. The guy's shown you he's got some will and determination to get all the way back.
"It was a good day for him to get out there and I'm glad he got a chance to do it. I wish we could have gotten better results but it wasn't to be."
Boone, who signed with Houston as a free agent after playing last season with the Washington Nationals, was an All-Star in 2003. He has a career .263 batting average with 126 home runs.
(Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Ed Osmond and Greg Stutchbury)
