It's been a weird few days for the Cubs left fielder.
Soriano wasn't hurt after he was accidentally hit on the head by video coordinator Nao Masamoto's throw. The outfielder was near the batting cage Monday, and Masamoto was relaying balls from first to one of the coaches who was hitting fungos.
On Sunday in the ninth inning of the Cubs' game in Pittsburgh, Soriano lost a fly ball by Nate McLouth in the sun, and it dropped for a game-tying RBI double. The Pirates would eventually win, 6-5, in 11 innings.
"Whatever happened in the game yesterday, stays in the game," Soriano said Monday. "That happened yesterday. After that, there's nothing you can do about it. I didn't want to drop the ball -- it's like a routine ground ball. It happened yesterday, and it stays right there. I can't bring it to today because today is another day."
Soriano wasn't asked to do any extra work with outfield coach Mike Quade on Monday. It was business as usual.
"He works hard every day," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said.
However, Soriano has been tentative near the outfield wall, especially at Wrigley Field.
"Let's hope he's not hiding a deficiency and his legs are bothering him," Piniella said of Soriano, who has already been on the disabled list this year because of a strained right calf. "Outside of that, the guy gets his work in, he plays to win, he's doing the best he can. That's all I can expect as a manager.
"Yes, you're in this thing to win baseball games, and I understand all that," Piniella said, "but he's given me what he's got. [On Sunday] he said the ball got in the sun, and let's leave it at that and go forward."
Fans apparently feel the same way. Seven men spelled out Soriano's name on their bare chests and greeted him with applause as he took the field Monday.
"[The fans] were great -- they're always great," Soriano said after Monday's 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. "I enjoy the fans. They know what's going on in the game."
The Cubs' problem isn't Soriano, who won Player of the Week honors after hitting seven homers in six games May 12-17.
"We need to execute a little better as a team than we did the last two days in Pittsburgh," Piniella said. "If not, it becomes very tough to win with consistency."
If Soriano isn't the trouble, why is he a target? It could be the eight-year, $136 million deal he signed prior to the 2007 season.
"I think it's got to be the money, because everybody makes mistakes," said Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee. "I think they think because you signed a huge deal, you're not human and you're not going to make a mistake. It's not fair. I don't think it bothers him -- he just goes about his business."
Soriano, who hit a two-run homer on Sunday, has been running better the last two days, but Piniella said he has noticed that the quick first step doesn't seem to be there. Dodgers manager Joe Torre, in town for a three-game series, was Soriano's manager in New York.
"We asked him to do a lot of things, things you usually would hesitate to do," Torre said of Soriano. "We played him at third -- he wasn't comfortable, but he played. We played him at second, in the outfield. Whatever you wanted, he did."
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