"Scott Rolen feels great, and the Reds' regular third baseman is eager to play again soon.

Rolen, who had surgery on his left shoulder Aug. 3, has recovered enough to field grounders and hit in the cage in recent days.

"I'm close, in my opinion, to getting back on the field," Rolen said. "What close is, I don't know. It's not hours."

When Rolen first saw reporters approach his clubhouse stall before Sunday's game, he reacted with customary Rolen humor:

Turning serious, Rolen said:

"I've been feeling good. Very happy that I had the surgery. I give Dr. (Timothy) Kremcheck a lot of credit, he did a good job. I was in no-man's land there. I couldn't be happier.""