Chase Headley (thumb) will begin a rehab assignment with High-A Lake Elsinore on Friday. He'll be a designated hitter initially during the rehab assignment, as Headley doesn't have any issues with his left thumb when he hits but is still a little sore when he closes his glove. The Padres haven't said how many rehab games he needs, but he seems likely to be ready in a week or so. He'll obviously be a welcome addition to the lineup, especially with Carlos Quentin facing a suspension.

MLB.com's Corey Brock predicts that Chase Headley (thumb) will begin a rehab assignment on Sunday. Headley doesn't have any issues with his left thumb when he hits, but it's still a little sore when he closes his glove. It's not clear how long the rehab assignment will be, but it's looking very likely that we'll see Headley before the end of the month.

Chase Headley (thumb) took batting practice from both sides of the plate Wednesday. The Padres will map out Headley's rehab schedule soon. "I don't think we're a long way off," manager Bud Black said. Black said Tuesday that Headley should return towards the front-end of the 4-6 week timetable that was established, so it's looking likely that he'll be back before the end of the month.

Chase Headley (thumb) hit off a tee, played flip in the batting cage and took some ground balls prior to Tuesday's game. Headley was cleared for all the drills after a stress test revealed that the third baseman's left thumb is healing as scheduled. "It's healing like it's supposed to," Headley said. "It feels good. [The team doctors] said that I can do as much or little as I want without pain." Manager Bud Black added that he was "really optimistic the four to six week guideline the doctors put on this might actually be closer to four." By that calculation, it sounds like Headley could possibly be ready before the end of the month.

Chase Headley (thumb) took soft ground balls Monday. The injured third baseman has also been lifting weights and taking one-handed swings in a batting cage. He has a checkup with doctors next Monday and is hoping to be cleared for higher-intensity workouts. "There are a lot of things I can do," Headley said Monday morning. "When I'm cleared for baseball activity, I want to hit the ground running." He's expected be ready in early May.

An X-ray on Chase Headley's injured left thumb show no movement in his bone. While this is good news, it was still too early to show any healing. Headley suffered a small fracture on the tip of his left thumb on March 17 and is expected to miss the first month of the season.

Chase Headley (thumb) said there's a chance he could take some one-handed swings in the batting cage this week. Headley will likely have an MRI on Monday before being cleared for any hitting activities. The Padres expect him to miss 4-6 weeks with the injury, so he can probably be safely ruled out for all of April. Logan Forsythe (foot) figures to see the majority of playing time at third base to start the season.

Chase Headley doesn't have any tendon or ligament damage in his left thumb. Headley was diagnosed Monday with a small fracture on the tip of his left thumb. While it's nice to hear that it's not anything more than that, he could miss as much as 4-6 weeks.

Padres general manager Josh Byrnes said a four-week absence for Chase Headley (thumb) is "optimistic," with the timetable for the third baseman ranging from 4-6 weeks.

Chase Headley will miss a month of action after being diagnosed with a small fracture in his left thumb. A tough break -- no pun intended -- for the Padres. Headley will not require surgery but figures to miss most, if not all, of April. Jedd Gyorko was expected to break camp as the club's Opening Day second baseman, but it's possible he'll now cover third base until Headley is ready. The Padres could also use Logan Forsythe or James Darnell at the hot corner.