Thu 9/12/13 8:30 PM

Yonder Alonso (hand) has been cleared to play defense and will likely hit in the batting cage this weekend. Alonso said Thursday that his right hand was "still a little sore" while he played catch the last few days, but he's ready to try to incorporate other activities. "I'm optimistic about it [returning]. But it's just a matter of time for this thing to heal," said Alonso.