Daniel Palencia is trying to not look too far ahead.

That can be difficult for any player with less than three weeks left in the regular season and the playoffs looming. For Palencia, the uncertainty of whether he will be able to rejoin the Chicago Cubs bullpen before the end of the season creates a greater emphasis on staying focused on the day to day as he recovers on the injured list from a right shoulder strain. Friday represents a key test to gauge how his shoulder has progressed since he first felt “a pop or something” while pitching the ninth inning of Sunday’s loss at Wrigley Field.

The weird and frustrating part, Palencia said, is his shoulder had felt fine that morning and while warming up. Palencia is expected to throw before the Cubs’ series opener Friday against the Tampa

See Full Page