Boone's goal: Opening Day

There has been no offseason for Aaron Boone. Every day since the season ended, he has gone to Cinergy Field for rehabilitation sessions — sometimes twice a day.

Boone injured his left knee July 5. He had season-ending surgery Aug. 8 to repair the anterior cruciate ligament. Rehab began the next day.

Now the end is in sight.

“The last couple of weeks, it's really felt good,” Boone said. “I feel like I turned the corner. I feel like I could play right now.”

That's getting a little ahead of schedule, cautions Lonnie Soloff, the Reds' physical therapist who supervised Boone's rehab.

“We think he'll be ready toward the end of spring training,” Soloff said. “He's definitely turned a corner lately. But we want to proceed with caution. The goal is Opening Day.”

The typical rehab for an injury like Boone's is eight months to a year.

“You approach every case differently,” Soloff said. “Aaron's coming along well. He's probably at 75 percent as far as strength.”

The Reds are counting on Boone.

“Everything our medical people have told us is he'll be ready,” Reds general manager Jim Bowden said. “We expect him to be able to play 150 games.”

And if he has a setback?

“Brandon Larson will get a shot,” Bowden said. “Juan Castro, Donnie Sadler and Wilton Guerrero will all get a look. Michael Tucker, Dmitri Young ... It would be wide open.”

Boone doesn't think it will come to that: “I'll be ready.”

Boone will concentrate on strengthening the knee the next two weeks. He plans to start spring camp in Sarasota, Fla., on Feb.10 — three days before pitchers and catchers report and 10 days before the full-squad workouts begin.

“I want to get there in advance and do some running,” Boone said. “Getting in running shape is the big thing.”

Soloff will try to replicate baseball activities to test Boone before he plays in games.

“We'll try to do everything in a controlled setting first,” Soloff said.

Depending on how well that goes, Boone will be allowed to play in spring training games.

Boone has been the only Red at the stadium all winter. The mental part of a long rehab is as taxing as the physical part.

“You need that internal motivation,” Soloff said. “That elment of "I want to get better.' Aaron has that.”

Boone, a Southern California guy, picked a rough winter to stay in Cincinnati.

“The first week of November, I was sitting on the balcony and it's 75 degrees,” he said. “I'm thinking, "This isn't bad.'”

Then the real winter came.

“I feel like I'm an official Cincinnatian now after I've been through one of the coldest winters,” he said. “It's worked out OK. I really like Cincinnati, but you definitely miss Southern California in the winter.”

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