2 Aaron Hill, 2B

The Diamondbacks' Aaron Hill entered Tuesday 3 for 9 on his rehab assignment at Triple-A and reporting no pain in his previously fractured left hand -- both good signs.

But notice I said his hand was previously fractured. I didn't say it was healed.

It didn't heal -- at least not the way it should have -- and now his only recourse is surgery, which he has clearly decided to put off.

Hand injuries aren't as condemning for hitters as wrist injuries or shoulder injuries. Some play through them without anyone ever knowing. Others clearly suffer at the plate. Consider Dustin Pedroia vs. Ryan Braun this year.

Again, Hill says he's not in pain, so maybe that's the end of it. Still, if I owned him and was anxiously anticipating his return, I'd be careful not to burn all my other options at second base until I was confident he was back for the long haul.

Diamondbacks second baseman Aaron Hill said he felt "no pain" during his rehab game Saturday, according to azcentral.com. 

Hill spoke to manager Kirk Gibson about his performance, saying his timing was "a little off," but that he was pain free. When asked whether Hill could return this week, Gibson expressed some caution, saying "when he starts to get comfortable, we’ll start talking about it."

Prior to the injury, Hill was hitting .306/.405/.556 in 36 at-bats.

Diamondbacks second baseman Aaron Hill began his minor-league rehab assignment at Triple-A Reno Saturday.

Hill, who is recovering from a slight fracture in his left hand, played second base and hit third in the order. He singled a run in the seventh inning and finished 1 for 4 with an RBI in his first game action since April 15.

Diamondbacks second baseman Aaron Hill will start his minor-league rehab assignment at Triple-A Reno Saturday, according to MLB.com.

Hill is expected to play Saturday and Sunday, take Monday off, and if everything goes well, play again Tuesday and Wednesday. Hill has been sidelined since April 15 with a slight fracture in his left hand. He hit .306 with two home runs and six RBIs in 10 games before landing on the DL.

Diamondbacks second baseman Aaron Hill could begin a rehab assignment this weekend, the Arizona Republic reports.

Hill played in extended spring training again Thursday and had no issues. Manager Kirk Gibson suggested Hill might need a longer rehab assignment than the usual two or three games. "Maybe it's two weeks from today," Gibson said of Hill's return, although he could return earlier if things go well at the rehab assignment.