Brewers' Almonte cleared for physical activity

MILWAUKEE -- Brewers utility man Erick Almonte still does not remember being hit just above his right eye with a thrown ball two weeks ago, but he certainly remembers the rough week that followed.After enduring a week of dizziness and nausea, Almonte started to feel normal again and was cleared Monday to start exercising in preparation for his return. The 33-year-old failed a baseline test last week but passed Monday. The Brewers have no timetable for his activation."Probably the last three or four days is when I've felt free of pain and symptoms," Almonte said Monday. "The first week was tough."Almonte became the first major league player to go on the new seven-day disabled list, established in the offseason specifically for concussions. Tuesday will mark Almonte's 15th day on the DL and under the guidelines of the new concussion policy, he will be moved retroactively to the 15-day DL.On April 26, Almonte fell to the ground in pain after a ball thrown by teammate Craig Counsell struck him in the forehead during batting practice. He was placed on the DL shortly before the first pitch that night.After the game, Almonte reported dizziness and nausea, symptoms he said continued the following week. The concussion also left him without an appetite. Almonte said the hardest part of it all was sitting at home while the team was out on the road."Just sitting there at the house, I was getting crazy," Almonte said. "I'm just anxious to get back on the field to help."There is still a small mark above Almonte's eye were the ball hit and he joked about getting a "C" (for Counsell) tattoo. He was most fortunate the ball did not hit his eye and that he has been able to recover."Good thing I have a hard head," Almonte joked.Home sweet homeThe Brewers' 10-game road trip was made even longer by the team's offensive and defensive struggles, and after finishing 2-8, everyone is happy to be back at Miller Park."It was a bad road trip," manger Ron Roenicke said before Monday's game with the Padres. "To get back here and start getting back on the right track againthe guys are ready for it."After scoring just 17 runs during the road trip and batting .172 as a group, the Brewers own a .218 batting average on the road. At Miller Park, where the team has played just 13 of its 34 games, they are hitting .301.In 21 road games, the Brewers have scored 65 runs, just one more than they have scored in their limited time in Milwaukee. Of the team's next 19 games, 15 are at home.Bouncing aroundRoenicke again had animated center fielder Carlos Gomez in the second spot of the batting order Monday after batting him eighth Sunday. Gomez has bounced between the two spots in the order while batting .242 with 12 RBIs and a team-leading eight stolen bases."It's more about who else to do we put in at second in the lineup" Roencike said. "Whether we hit Gomez second or whether we hit him eighth, it's the approach. If he has the same approach, he should do the same thing."Roenicke had a one-on-one discussion with Gomez before Saturday's game about patience at the plate. Gomez wound up collecting a triple and a double on the day. Old friendsIt was a matchup of managers groomed in the Mike Scioscia school of baseball Monday at Miller Park as Bud Black sat in the visitors dugout with the Padres and Roenicke with the Brewers.Black and Roenicke were both on the Angels staff in 2000 when Scioscia took over. Roenicke was the third base coach and Black the pitching coach. Scioscia, the longest tenured manager in the American League, became the 56th manager in major league history to reach 1000 wins on Sunday. Roenicke said he sent Scioscia a text Monday and heard back right away. He also said he keeps in regular contact with Black.