Rafael Palmeiro was sent home to Texas to rehabilitate knee and ankle injuries, leaving his baseball future unclear during a season in which he was suspended for a positive steroids test. Palmeiro's season unraveled soon after he collected his 3,000th career hit on July 15. He received a 10-day suspension on Aug. 1 for failing a drug test, and upon his return was booed by fans in Baltimore and on the road. He is 2-for-26 with one RBI since coming back, and has been bothered the past two weeks by injuries to his left ankle and right knee. The Orioles still expect him to play this month, but decided Monday that the first baseman should go home to recover. "It is in his and the Orioles best interests for Palmeiro to stay off the knee as much as possible to allow it to heal completely," the team said in statement. "At the same time, remaining with the team while unable to play has created an unnecessary distraction for both Palmeiro and the ballclub."