LAS VEGAS -- Although Rafael Furcal cut short his Minor League rehabilitation stint on Tuesday, the Dodgers may have a veteran shortstop returning soon.

Nomar Garciaparra played five innings of shortstop on Tuesday for Triple-A Las Vegas in the second game of his rehab stint after spending the past 2 1/2 years away from the position.

Garciaparra did not field any balls at short, but he did dive for a couple balls that went up the middle for singles.

"It's good to be back there, see the balls, getting the angles, moving to my left and right," Garciaparra said. "It's just a matter of getting the feel again."

With Furcal returning to Los Angeles after his back flared up again when he woke up Tuesday morning, making it impossible to forecast an end to his disabled-list stint, a return to Garciaparra's shortstop roots in the Majors would make sense.

The team had originally plotted that move for Garciaparra's return when he started a rehab stint on June 17, but he had to cut that assignment short when his left calf did not respond well.

Garciaparra has not played shortstop since arriving in Los Angeles for the 2006 season, as he's split time between first base and third base for the Dodgers. He had been a full-time shortstop from the start of his career in 1996 until 2005, when he split time between short and third base for the Cubs.

"After playing shortstop most of your life, I don't think it's something that's new to him," said Vegas manager Lorenzo Bundy. "He came up a shortstop, he was an All-Star shortstop. I don't think you forget how to play.

"With Raffy getting hurt now, was he going to be over there one day or twice a week or something like that? Now the question is, is he ready to play over there five or six days a week? That's the question."

Garciaparra had been taking ground balls at shortstop while working out at Dodger Stadium during his DL time, but he said he does that regardless of where he plays just to get his feet moving. He expects an "adjustment period" but said he would feel comfortable playing the position in the Majors.

In Furcal's absence, Angel Berroa, Luis Maza and current Minor Leaguer Chin-lung Hu have manned the position, all of whom have struggled offensively.

Garciaparra looked good at the plate on Tuesday, going 2-for-3 with a couple of runs scored.

A night after hitting a ball out of the yard, Andruw Jones also continued to have good at-bats in the second day of his rehab assignment following right knee surgery. Jones singled in all three of his plate appearances, drove in a pair of runs and even stole a base after not stealing a single bag in 43 games with the Dodgers.

Both players are hoping to return Friday in San Francisco. That's been the plan all along with Garciaparra, but Jones was expected to go back to Los Angeles to rest this weekend, then return to Vegas for eight games before making a post-All-Star Game arrival with the Dodgers.

"Andruw's goal and somebody else's goal may not be the same goal," Bundy said, adding he would like to see Jones go from first to third on a single or run down a ball in the gap in the coming days to test him in those situations.

A weekend return for Garciaparra appears a bit more likely. He said his calf feels "totally different" than last time when he cut his stint short, saying he did not feel comfortable then like he does now.

As for returning this weekend, Garciaparra said, "That's what I'm hoping for, that's what I'm shooting for, so we'll see how things recover. I'm glad I was able to get through these two games. We'll see how it recovers and then make the decision."

Although he did not get much play at short, Garciaparra was pleased that he was tested in a number of other ways, as he scored from first on a double, tagged up at second to advance to third on a ball hit to left and recorded a putout in a rundown.

"You don't want to think, 'I haven't had this situation yet,' or 'How's it going to be when I run?'" Garciaparra said. "I just did it. I'm glad I kind of did it instinctively without thinking, and I made out OK."

Jones reported no problems making two catches in center and running the bases. He moved up on a wild pitch and collected an infield hit on top of the stolen base.

At the plate, Jones said he has more balance and is staying on his back leg instead of flying open, which was causing him to miss so many balls in the Majors.

"I've been working on things and looking at things that I was doing wrong at the beginning of the season, and I saw the difference," Jones said. "I just had to work on that, and now it's paying off, and I just have to keep it going and we'll be fine."

Before any decisions are made, Garciaparra and Jones still have two games left at Triple-A, which Bundy said likely involves a schedule of the two players each taking a day in the field and a day at DH.

Although it's uncertain if either player will be ready to return by the weekend, they're headed in the right direction.

"I thought both of them looked a little bit better than they were yesterday, so a couple more days to go and hopefully they'll be ready to go," Bundy said.