Energetic Soriano eager to return to lineup

SAN FRANCISCO -- Alfonso Soriano looked to be the happiest guy in the Cubs' clubhouse Tuesday, and he isn't even on the active roster.

But if he has his way about it, that'll change soon.

Soriano spent at least a half-hour of the afternoon taking drills in right field. He fielded balls and ran, both to his left and right.

"Good, good, good," said Soriano, who has been on the disabled list since Aug. 6 with a strained right quadriceps. "It's very exciting, because today is my first day running. It's like 80 percent."

Soriano hit in the batting cage at Wrigley Field over the weekend. Neither the Cubs nor the Giants took batting practice Tuesday, but Soriano hopes to take b.p. today.

As for coming back to the active roster, Soriano sounded optimistic, even if it was a bit overly optimistic for the Cubs' tastes.

"For me, I feel comfortable coming back before Sept. 1," he said. "I have to listen to the trainers. … I said to the trainers this weekend (for his return). They laughed. But we'll see."

Manager Lou Piniella had his own ideas.

"I told him I was going to put him in there today," Piniella said. "He was going to play on top of the Coke bottle up there (beyond left field). He'd be Chicago's version of Bernie the Brewer.

"He's not ready. He's getting better. I think the fact that that he's been taking batting practice has got his blood going a little bit. We've got to be careful. One more setback, and our whole season's gone.

"I talked to our trainer yesterday, and we're still clinging to that first of September, Labor Day weekend scenario."

Makeup date official: The Cubs will make up Sunday night's rainout with the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday, Sept. 10, at 2:20 p.m. at Wrigley Field.

That was a scheduled off-day for both clubs. The Cubs will be coming off a three-game series at Pittsburgh. After the makeup game, they'll go to Houston and St. Louis, where they'll have a day-night doubleheader on Sept. 15.

That means the Cubs will play 24 games in 23 days, beginning Aug. 28 and ending Sept. 19.

Blanco's back: The Cubs activated catcher Henry Blanco off the disabled list and Cliff Floyd off the restricted list Tuesday.

Floyd had been tending to his father's funeral. Blanco had been on the DL since May 31 with a cervical herniated disc.

"It's been awhile," Blanco said. "Thank God everything worked out for the good. I battled through it, and I'm happy to be here once again. Everything feels good right now."

At one point, the Cubs weren't sure Blanco could return at all this year.

"I never thought that way," he said. "I was always working, trying to get everything done that I needed to get done."

The Cubs optioned infielder Ronny Cedeno to Class AAA Iowa and designated veteran catcher Koyie Hill for assignment.

"Hill did a nice job," Lou Piniella said. "You look at his won-loss record, which I look at catching-wise, and it was 17-9. Koyie needed to hit just a little more."

Piniella indicated the Cubs would try to move Hill to another major-league club.

Family matters: Pitching coach Larry Rothschild was not with the club Tuesday. He was with his father, who was undergoing a planned surgery. Bullpen coach Lester Strode served as acting pitching coach.