Concern grows over Quentin's injured knee

SAN DIEGO -- Carlos Quentin's balky right knee continues to bother him, so much so that the Padres left fielder got a second opinion on it Thursday.

Quentin, who hasn't played since July 30, visited the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic in Los Angeles.

There's growing concern as to when Quentin will play again this season.

Quentin, who had surgery on the knee in October and was limited in Spring Training, tested the knee Friday and Saturday in Cincinnati and reported soreness afterward.

"Carlos is in a situation where for him to do any baseball activities, it's painful, especially the defensive or on the running side," Padres manager Bud Black said Tuesday. "He can get into his stance and hit, but we're staying away from it just to let the knee heal. He's feeling better but not to the extent where he can get on the field."

Black is still hopeful that Quentin can return again this season.

Quentin was hitting .273/.363/.493 in 82 games with 13 home runs and 45 RBIs.

The Padres' offense has scuffled of late without All-Star shortstop Everth Cabrera (suspension) as well as Quentin. Earlier this week, the Padres were 3-for-55 with runners in scoring position before scoring seven runs in a victory on Tuesday.

"[Quentin] hits in the middle of our order; he's a guy we count on for productivity," Black said. "... Without him in there, our other guys need to be productive."