Carlos Quentin (knee) is expected to play left field again on Wednesday. Quentin made his Cactus League debut in left field on Tuesday, so this is a sign that his knee is feeling good. The plan calls for him to DH on Thursday, but he appears on track for the start of the season.

Carlos Quentin was encouraged by how his right knee felt Tuesday in his first Cactus League action. "I feel more and more like a player who can counted on every day," he said. Unless he suffers a setback between now and Opening Day, Quentin can probably be safely penciled into the Padres' April 1 lineup. He's a pretty good bet to make at least one trip to the DL during the season, however.

Carlos Quentin (knee) will start in left field in Tuesday's Cactus League game. Quentin made it through six innings in the outfield in a minor league game on Saturday, so now he's ready to return to the major league side. The Padres will monitor him closely over the next few days, but it's increasingly likely he'll be ready for the season.

Carlos Quentin played the field for six innings Saturday in his return from arthroscopic knee surgery. It's a promising, albeit small, step forward for the 30-year-old outfielder. Just a day ago, manager Bud Black wasn't sure Quentin would be available for Opening Day. Black called today's showing "very encouraging." Monitor Quentin in the coming days leading up to the start of the season.

Padres skipper Bud Black indicated Friday that there is still a possibility that Carlos Quentin (knee) could begin the regular season on the disabled list. Quentin was able to play left field in a minor league game on Wednesday, and said that it went really well. He remains optimistic that he'll be ready to go when the games start to count. Even playing his home games in San Diego, Quentin offers impressive power potential, though his durability concerns certainly hamper his fantasy value.

Carlos Quentin (knee) said his return to left field in a minor league game Wednesday "went really well." "I thought it went really well," Quentin said. "I didn't push it completely, which is coming up soon. But I played without pain, which was great. There's a lot of optimism ... today [the knee] bounced back better than it had after the first two games." The Padres' outfielder added that he's "trying to be" ready for Opening Day and he "still believes" it will happen. There's no timetable for when he'll return to Cactus League action.

Carlos Quentin (knee) will play left field in a minor league game on Wednesday. This is a sign that his surgically-repaired right knee is feeling good. Assuming all goes well, Quentin should return to Cactus League action and be fine for Opening Day.

Carlos Quentin (knee) went 3-for-6 with a home run in a minor league game Monday. More importantly, he was also able to test out his knee by running the bases. Quentin should be able to return to Cactus League action soon and should be fine for Opening Day, assuming he doesn't have another setback.

Carlos Quentin (knee) will be the designated hitter in a minor league game Sunday. It's a step in the right direction for Quentin, who has been dealing with some soreness in his twice-surgically-repaired right knee. Padres manager Bud Black said Friday that Quentin's status for Opening Day isn't in question "at this point." It's not clear when he'll be ready to return to the outfield.

Carlos Quentin (knee) is not in the Padres' lineup Friday. It was reported Thursday that he could return, but he's not ready yet. Padres manager Bud Black said Quentin's status for Opening Day isn't in question "at this point." It's still a situation to monitor closely, though.