Renteria optimistic about Soler's progress

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Jorge Soler was hitless in five Cactus League at-bats but Cubs manager Rick Renteria has seen a lot of positives from the Cuban outfielder in practice.

"I go to the back field to watch him work, and he's very diligent in his batting practice and in the outfield," Renteria said of Soler, limited to 55 games after suffering a fractured left shin in June. "His routes are clean. He's a good looking outfielder and obviously, a good looking athlete and potentially he looks like he'll be a really good hitter."

Soler, 22, batted .281 with Class A Daytona last season before he was injured and then played in the Arizona Fall League. Renteria isn't concerned with what the outfielder's final numbers are this spring.

"The victories we try to gain in terms of when we're watching is to see how their approach is at the plate," he said. "Obviously, everybody wants positive end results but if their at-bats are coming together where you see them swinging at good pitches and taking bad ones and working at-bats through that process, then I think there are things to be excited about.

"There are days when they're not going to have good at-bats," he said. "You talk about those and what were the approaches and the thinking that went into that approach."