BASEBALL ROUNDUP \ News and notes

Padres: Khalil Greene's left middle finger is still sore six months after he injured it. The shortstop insists it's not an issue. Greene checked into camp Monday, two days ahead of the reporting date for position players. "It's still sore when I swing," Greene said. "It's in a loosening phase. It's hard to gauge because all the weather has been sub-50 degrees. When it was warm, it felt good ... There's still some sense of soreness, but it's not major. It's about normal." Greene was limited for much of August and September after injuring his finger. He hit .245 with 15 homers and 55 RBIs for the Padres, who repeated as NL West champions before losing to St. Louis in the playoffs. The shortstop has missed time in recent seasons due to finger and toe injuries, but said there's not much he could have done to avoid them. "Every year, you're going in assuming you'll play through the whole year," Greene said. "I think you take steps to keep healthy, but once you get on the field it's a reactionary thing. They've all been reactionary."
Mets: Carlos Beltran wants to be on the run a lot more this season. Two years removed from stealing 42 bases, the All-Star outfielder intends to be more of a base-stealing threat after swiping just 18 a year ago. "I know that if I'm healthy and I have no pain in my knees and all of that, I'll be able to do that," Beltran said Monday after he reported to Tradition Field to take some light batting practice. Injuries limited Beltran's baserunning last season, although the slugger hit a career-high 41 home runs after a disappointing 16 in his debut with Mets in 2005.
Rangers: Closer Eric Gagne threw off a mound for the first time at spring training Monday, completing a 37-pitch session with no complications. Gagne, who had as many surgeries (two) as relief appearances last season, said he will do some light throwing today before returning to the mound Wednesday or Thursday. "I felt free," said Gagne, who had elbow surgery in April and season-ending back surgery in July. "It's good to get back on the mound again. I'm going slow, but feel really good right now." The right-hander who signed with the Rangers in the offseason mixed in a few halfhearted breaking pitches, but threw mostly fastballs without the presence of a radar gun. Manager Ron Washington didn't see the session, but said the medical staff told him Gagne felt good. "That's a good start," Washington said. "I was conducting drills, but if [pitching coach] Mark Connor said he looked and felt good, that's good enough for me."
Cubs: Starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano said he expects to sign a one-year contract before today's scheduled arbitration hearing. "I think it's 85 to 90 percent that we don't go to arbitration," Zambrano said Monday. Zambrano caused a stir last week when he told WGN-TV he would leave as a free agent if he did not have a multiyear contract by opening day, but backed off that request. He earned 6.5 million last season when he was 16-7 with a 3.41 ERA and 210 strikeouts, then asked for 15.5 million in arbitration. The Cubs countered at 11,025,000, which is more than any player has been awarded. Zambrano has said he is seeking a salary similar to that of Barry Zito, who signed a 126 million, seven-year contract with San Francisco. A multiyear deal with the Cubs would likely be in the five-year range, but Zambrano said that "can wait."
Associated Press
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