Johnson plans on speedy return

Reed Johnson was hobbling around the Cubs clubhouse with a walking cast on his left foot Thursday morning.

The center fielder broke the foot Wednesday, when he fouled a pitch off the top of his shoe. Although the Cubs feared Johnson will be lost for a month, he's planning on being back sooner.

"With the fracture where it is now, they're thinking liking taking four weeks, but hopefully, I'm looking more like two or three," he said. "That's kind of my goal. We'll see how it works out."

Although the break is at the top of the foot, Johnson said he feels pain in the arch. He broke the foot in the first inning Wednesday, he stayed in the game through three innings.

"Getting out to the field and getting back in was ... I was gritting my teeth," he said. "It was bothering me. Usually, when you foul a ball off your shoe, it takes a couple innings to get better, and it just kept getting worse.

"I try to look at the positives. It could have been with three weeks left in the season. It could have been something that dragged into the playoffs. You don't want that."

Roster moves: The Cubs recalled reliever Jeff Stevens from Class AAA Iowa to replace Reed Johnson. Stevens was sent out Wednesday, but he never left Chicago. The Cubs were able to recall him because of an injury.

After Thursday's game, they optioned pitcher Mitch Atkins to Iowa. Before tonight's game at Florida, the Cubs will recall outfielder Sam Fuld from Iowa. Fuld flew to Chicago on Thursday and joined the team for its flight to Florida.

Atkins worked the eighth inning Thursday and the ninth inning Wednesday. He gave up 1 hit over the 2 innings. Stevens has pitched in 5 games for the Cubs this year.

Soto getting closer: Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said he hopes catcher Geovany Soto (oblique strain) can come off the DL by next weekend's series at Colorado, if not in Cincinnati before then. Soto will play two or thee games in a minor-league rehab stint.

Reliever B.J. Ryan, formerly the closer for the Blue Jays, was scheduled to make his second appearance for Iowa Thursday night as the Cubs take a look at him. Ryan pitched 1 scoreless inning for Iowa earlier this week.