Soriano's return still on target

PHOENIX - Alfonso Soriano got a quick wake-up call Monday morning when the first pitch he saw in an Arizona Rookie League game sailed up and in at him.

Fortunately for Soriano and the Cubs, the ball missed.

Even more important for Soriano and the Cubs, he said his left hand withstood the test of swinging a bat in a competitive situation.

Soriano was the DH on Monday.

"I had a lot of good swings, and my hand had no pain at all," said Soriano, who is nearly all the way back from the broken left hand that knocked him out of a game June 11. "When I made a bad swing, no pain. I made a lot of bad swings, and I think it's because I didn't have good timing. I hit a couple balls off the end (of the bat) and a couple close to my hands, and I didn't feel anything in my fingers."

Although Soriano said he was ready to play for the Cubs on Monday against the Diamondbacks, the plan remains to send him to Tucson today to play for their Class AAA team. If that goes well, the Cubs might activate him Wednesday.

And about that first pitch.

"I had my eyes open because a lot of guys told me those little guys throw hard, but they don't know where the ball is going, he said."

Manager Lou Piniella said he was encouraged by the reports.

"He got some swings in and hit the ball fairly good," Piniella said. "He was a little undisciplined. He hit some balls off the end of the bat. He hit two balls off his hands, and he had no pain."

Piniella added that Soriano will play the outfield for Tucson tonight.

"It's good news, really good news," Piniella said. "He could probably use more than the at-bats we're going to give him, but we'll see after tomorrow how he is."

Wood update: Closer Kerry Wood said he saw a doctor Monday and got some new medication to heal the blister on his right index finger.

"They just gave me something different to put on it and help dry that up," he said. "We'll see."

Wood hasn't pitched since July 11, and so far the Cubs have resisted putting him on the disabled list, mainly because the pitching staff is good shape.

"He's going to throw here Wednesday," Lou Piniella said. "The report was that it's a blister and nothing more, which should put everybody's mind at ease."

With Wood unavailable, the Cubs are, in effect, going with an 11-man pitching staff.

Piniella said lefty reliever Scott Eyre is "close to being ready" after being on the DL since late June with a groin injury.

Minor matters: Pitcher Jeff Samardzija ran his record to 4-1 with a 3.13 ERA for Class AAA Iowa as he struck out nine and walked one Sunday in a 2-1 victory over Nashville.

Samardzija gave up 2 hits in 6 innings.

If this keeps up, there's probably a better than even chance Samardzija will be up with the big club on or before September 1.

Jake Fox, who had a cup of coffee with the Cubs last year, was 2-for-4 with a homer for Class AA Tennessee.