Soft cast on Quentin's broken wrist removed

NEW YORK - After punching his bat and fracturing his right wrist during a Sept. 1 loss at Cleveland, White Sox left fielder Carlos Quentin said he was determined to return to the lineup before the end of the season.

Getting back on the field this year was greeted with a large dose of skepticism, but Quentin just might make good on his vow.

After having the wrist re-examined Wednesday at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Quentin was cleared to work on range-of-motion exercises.

The soft cast on Quentin's wrist also was removed, and doctors said the fracture has lined up but is not fully healed, as expected.

Most encouraging, the MVP candidate is scheduled to meet up with the Sox in Kansas City on Friday and take "dry" swings. Quentin might also be able to take live batting practice over the weekend.

"One thing about it, I don't want to rush this kid, and all of a sudden we lose him for maybe another month," said Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. "We've got to take the thing easy and don't rush him. And he will make the call when he can come back or not.

"I want to wait for him to see what he says, how he does and how he feels, and then we'll see what we're going to do."

Quentin has missed 15 games, but he still tops the American League in home runs (36) while ranking among league leaders with 100 RBI.