Sitting up here in the press box at Nationals Park, having just watched Alfonso Soriano go through an extensive workout regimen that included batting practice, baserunning drills and plenty of fly balls and line drives in left field. Soriano, of course, won't be playing in this weekend's Cubs-Nats series -- he's on the DL with a strained calf muscle. But he appears close to returning, perhaps in the next week or so.

Not that the Cubs have lost any ground with the $136 million man on the shelf. They've won six of their last seven and at 15-7 overall lead the NL Central and trail only the Diamondabcks (16-6) for the best record in the majors.

All of which surely will bring even more Chicagoans to the park this weekend than would normally show up. These guys might draw the most opposing fans of any team that regularly comes to Washington, even more than the Mets (who still had plenty of supporters the last two nights). Maybe it's because the Cubs only make one trip here per season. Whatever the case, they pack 'em in here. I haven't heard any official estimates for the weekend, but my best guess is that they'll draw 35,000 tonight and approaching 40,000 tomorrow and Sunday.