Cubs, Soriano playing with fire

With their history on injuries, it might be better to play it safe rather than risk a return trip to the DL

If his stint on the disabled list taught us anything, it's that Alfonso Soriano is the Cubs' most valuable offensive player. So I must ask, at the risk of injecting a dose of sobriety into the celebration surrounding his return to the lineup: Why is he coming back so soon? Why risk further injury to your MVP, knowing you're going to need him desperately down the stretch and, hopefully, in the postseason?

Soriano has admitted he's not yet 100 percent. Manager Lou Piniella has admitted Soriano isn't 100 percent. So why is Soriano returning to the lineup nearly a week ahead of his projected all-clear date? His eagerness to play is admirable, but that doesn't mean it's smart. If ever there was a time for the Cubs to err on the side of caution, this is it.

Does anyone else shudder at the memories of Kerry Wood and Mark Prior returning too soon from injuries, only to end up down and out for long periods of time? I realize that two pitchers with recurring arm problems have little in common with an outfielder who has been remarkably healthy during his career. But how many times have we been told that an injured Cubs player was good to go, only to find out later that he wasn't?

The Cubs vowed to be cautious with Soriano after he tore his right quadriceps while running the bases on Aug. 5. He has been itching to return for a while, but common sense prevailed until now. With the Brewers arriving for a three-game series -- and the Cubs' offense looking sickly without him -- Soriano's pleas have been heard. If the Pirates were coming to town instead, you can bet the team would be sticking with the original timetable.

Sure, this is an important series. But no series in August can be big enough to rush your MVP back. It's like Soriano himself said over the weekend in Arizona, after the training staff and Piniella refused to clear him to play against the Diamondbacks: ''I understand because it's better to lose one week now and not lose the whole September.'' What changed since then?

''We held our own,'' Piniella said when asked about the team's performance in Soriano's absence. The Cubs missed him, winning only eight of the 19 games he missed, yet they managed to gain 2½ games in the National League Central standings during that time. The lesson? In this division, holding your own is good enough.

The Cubs shouldn't feel they need Soriano to beat the Brewers, a team that is apt to beat itself on any given night. The Cubs should be looking ahead to September, knowing they'll need Soriano to beat the Cardinals. The Cubs should be looking ahead to October, knowing they'll need him to beat the Mets or Diamondbacks or Padres.

Piniella wouldn't comment on how the injury would limit Soriano, telling reporters only that he'll ''have to be a little careful, but he knows what he needs to do.'' Can we assume this means Soriano will be favoring his right leg at the plate, on the basepaths and in the field? Soriano at 85 percent might be better than most, but that's not the point. If he aggravates his injury, he could be lost for the season. Then what?

Soriano was able to convince the training staff and Piniella that he's healthy enough to play. But whose idea was it to put him back in the leadoff spot? What is Piniella thinking? Ryan Theriot has done a good job filling in for him at the top of the order. Why mess with one of the few spots in the lineup that worked during his absence?

And why put a tender-legged Soriano at the top of the order when stealing bases or running out an infield hit is the last thing he should be thinking about at this point? Wouldn't it make more sense to bat him lower in the lineup, especially since the Cubs need more production from the middle of the order?

Excuse me for being a worrywort. With any luck, Soriano will make a problem-free return, the offense will start clicking and the Cubs will widen their lead on the Brewers and Cardinals. But given their history with injuries to marquee players in recent years -- from Wood and Prior to Sammy Sosa's big sneeze -- I can't help but be concerned.

When Piniella joked that Soriano would play tonight ''unless he slips coming off the airplane,'' it wasn't all that funny. These are the Cubs we're talking about. With this team, injuries are never a laughing matter.