In his two most recent columns at Baseball Prospectus, Will Carroll offers positive perspectives on injured Cub stars Soriano and Ramirez.

On Friday, Carroll said, "(Soriano) isn't likely to miss much beyond the minimum...probably the best possible scenario aside from Soriano not being hurt at all." Carroll reports that Soriano's quadriceps muscle is healing well and suggests--correctly, I think--that even at less than his full-fledged self, Soriano could make a contribution to the team.

As for A-Ram, Carroll writes today that his Cub sources are not "terribly concerned" about Aramis Ramirez's recovery from the achy wrist that sidelined him during the recent road trip. He suggests "watching for bat control problems" to gauge whether or not A-Ram is suffering.