Phillies' Freddy Galvis back doing baseball activities

Mike Stutes jogged along the warning track in right field. David Herndon was hanging out at Citizens Bank Park, too.

More than a few familiar faces were back in South Philly Thursday afternoon. It was team photo day.

It was also the day Freddy Galvis talked to reporters for the first tie since suffering a season-ending back surgery in June and, late rin the same month, was suspended for 50 games for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug.

A team spokesman said Galvis would not address the latter issue; the team and the infielder are standing by the initial statements released after the incident.

Galvis, however, did speak confidently about his rehab from fracturing a vertebrate in his back. He's been out of a brace for "about two weeks" and has already began light baseball activities, including running, fielding and hitting.

"It's getting much better," Galvis said. "I don't feel any pain."

Galvis said the plan is to get back on the field "around September 15" in instructional games in Clearwater. He'll then play shortstop in the Venezuelan Winter League to make up for the lost at-bats since landing on the DL over two months ago.

Despite not being able to finish the season where it started, in the major leagues, Galvis wore his trademark boyish grin as he talked about the 2012 season.

"It's not disappointing for me," he said. "For me it's, this year, thank God I made the big leagues and I was playing good. Injuries are going to happen, that's how baseball is, so I have to get through this."