ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Cleveland Indians center fielder Milton Bradley, who underwent an appendectomy earlier this week, is scheduled to be released from the hospital on Friday.

	Bradley

Bradley was operated on Wednesday in St. Petersburg, where the Indians were playing the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Team spokesman Bart Swain said Bradley should return to Cleveland on Saturday or Sunday and could resume light exercise -- like riding a stationary bike -- in a week.

Bradley was admitted to the hospital after the Indians' 9-5 win Tuesday. Doctors recommended surgery after Bradley underwent tests and felt more discomfort Wednesday morning.

"I talked with him today, and everything went well,'' Cleveland manager Joel Skinner said.

Bradley could return sometime next month.

"It's just the matter of the healing process and seeing where we're at,'' Skinner said.

Bradley is hitting .248 with nine homers and 35 RBI in 80 games this season, his first full year with the Indians. Over his past 27 games, he is hitting .283 with five homers and 20 RBI.

He missed a month earlier this season after breaking a bone near his left eye and scratching his iris while trying to make a catch May 1 against Anaheim. The ball ricocheted off the outfield wall and hit Bradley just below the eye.

Cleveland acquired Bradley from Montreal on July 31, 2001, for right-hander Zach Day.

This was not the Indians' first appendectomy of 2002. Backup infielder John McDonald had an emergency appendectomy in spring training and missed three weeks. He recovered for the start of the season.

To take Bradley's place on the roster, the Indians recalled outfielder Covelli Crisp from Double-A Akron Wednesday. The 22-year-old switch-hitter was acquired earlier this month from St. Louis to complete the July 19 trade for left-hander Chuck Finley.

Crisp started in center field and hit leadoff in his major league debut Thursday against the Devil Rays.

"I thought about it last night, and he's been a leadoff hitter,'' Skinner said. "That's what he does. We can do this right now because of where we are. We don't like to have seasons like this, but when you're in the situation that we're in, you can do that with young players.''

Crisp, the Cardinals' minor league player of the year in 2001, had hit .406 (13-for-32) with nine runs scored, a homer, four RBI and four steals since joining the Aeros last week.