Lance Berkman: (Knee) Big Weekend Ahead -  3/25/2010 11:01:19 AM

Update:
Berkman (knee) has been doing light hitting off of a tee, but hasn't been cleared for running or other baseball drills, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Recommendation:
If he's able to make it through the weekend without experiencing swelling in his knee, there's a chance that Berkman will be able to avoid the DL at the start of the season. Still, the Astros would be wise to take a cautious approach and place him on the DL before Apr. 2 if they're not convinced that he'll be healthy enough to play right away. Going that route would make him eligible to return for the fifth game of the regular season anyway, so it sounds like he could be ready to go in mid-April even if a brief DL stint is deemed necessary.