"It's been pretty overwhelming," said Phillips [speaking about support from teammates], his voice choked up with emotion. "It's been a tough year and a half. To see the way the team and these guys reached out, it makes you proud to call these guys teammates and friends." ...

Linda Phillips, 53, underwent surgery to repair a broken hip and multiple injuries to her pelvis on Tuesday, then had a procedure Wednesday to fight blood clots. She is able to breathe on her own now, though Phillips said that she was still "not as alert as I'd have liked" before he left Birmingham. ...

Doctors are encouraged by the progress, though it is unclear how long she will remain hospitalized. Monday, while she was still in the intensive care unit, Linda caught a glimpse of the Yankees-Tigers exhibition game, which was being televised on ESPN. She turned to her son and said, "Spring training?"