So far so good in Chicago Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano’s knee. He recently said he was worried that it was only at about 85 percent, but things are looking up.
“I’m surprised,” Soriano said Thursday. “I feel much better than [Monday]. That’s a good thing. It’s only the second day and I see the difference.”
He’s not running full tilt yet, but hasn’t felt any pain or discomfort. He is going 100 percent during the outfield drills, has done lateral movements, and says there have been no problems. He also hasn’t had any problems hitting. His winter workouts have paid off.
“I can move around — that’s the only thing I’m doing 100 percent is the fielding and I don’t feel any pain at all,” he said. “No problem.”
The biggest hurdle for Soriano to overcome is mental, not physical.
“I need to trust it more,” Soriano said. “That’s the biggest thing. I think my knee is good but now I have to trust that it’s 100 percent.”
He does some warm up exercises before the Cubs practice. He hasn’t needed any post-workout ice packs.
“I want to forget what happened to my knee last year,” he said. “[Trust] is the hard part. So far, the first two days I feel good.” Muskat Ramblings.
I’m still skeptical that Soriano’s only problem last year was his health, given how vocally and repeatedly he denied that health problems were affecting his performance. It really had the feel of an after-the-fact excuse.
BUT, I’m willing to believe it, pending what he shows on the field this year.