"The baby steps in Carlos Quentin's spring training comeback are measured by the lack of shoe boxes that cluttered his locker last season.

Quentin's road to recovery starts with his legs as healthy as they were when he hit 36 home runs in his breakout year in 2008.

Although manager Ozzie Guillen plans to give Quentin an occasional rest as part of his rotating designated hitters, Quentin's legs could be as important as speedster Juan Pierre's because he is one of the Sox's few power resources.

Quentin isn't dwelling on how much he compensated for the plantar fasciitis and a torn tendon in his left foot that led to an assortment of shoes and insoles to provide comfort after an eight-week absence. He still managed to hit 21 home runs in 99 games, so the potential for a rebound year looks promising as long as he remains injury-free.

"You hit it right on the head,'' Quentin said after reporting to camp. "Stay healthy and be out there every game I can. I'm looking for a great outcome, and I think it will happen."

The resourceful Stanford graduate, changed training habits after a pin was removed from his right wrist from a previous injury last October."