Hammel says he's going to be fine after being hit on hand

Cubs manager Rick Renteria will prove this weekend that you can go home again. Well, sort of.

The Cubs will open a four-game series Thursday night in San Diego against the Padres. Before becoming Cubs manager last November, Renteria spent six years on the Padres' coaching staff.

Although he has a home in Temecula, California, not too far from San Diego, he said Wednesday he won't be staying there.

"No, that's an hour drive each way for me; it's a long drive," he said. "My family will be there (in San Diego), but I won't drive back and forth. I'll have plenty of time after the season to go back, go back to the neighborhood.

"For me, it's another road trip. I have some really good friends there that I'm going to be happy to see for a quick moment to say hello, and then it's on. It's the Cubs against the Padres."

Hammel hand OK:

The Cubs were breathing a sigh of relief Wednesday about pitcher Jason Hammel, who was hit on right (pitching) hand Tuesday night on a comeback grounder by the Yankees Brett Gardner on the first play of the game.

"When it hit me, I thought my hand exploded," Hammel said.

Although Hammel was sporting a bandage and had some swelling, he said X-rays revealed a deep bone bruise and no break.

"It's a little swollen, but other than that, I think it's going to be all right," he said. "It's about as good as it can be."

Hammel said he expects to make his next start, in Sunday's series finale at San Diego. He picked up the win Tuesday night to improve to 5-2 with a 2.91 ERA.

Rick Renteria said the play was "a scare for all of us."

"What does it say about him?" the manager asked "Fortunately for us, he's a gamer. He stayed in there. Wanting to stay in and being healthy enough to stay in are two different things. Yesterday we were fortunate enough that he was both, because you can be a gamer and be hurt, and it would be ridiculous of me as a manager to keep him in there. All indications led me to believe that he was fine."

Soler hurt again:

Outfield prospect Jorge Soler will head to Mesa, Arizona, to begin yet another rehab. Soler suffered a right-hamstring strain while playing for Class AA Tennessee. During spring training, a left-hamstring injury bothered Soler. He missed much of last season with a strained left calf.

The 22-year-old Soler, whom the Cubs signed to a mine-year major-league contract in 2012, has played just seven games for Tennessee this year, going 8-for-24.