Roenicke still planning on four-month absence for Hart

Brewers manager Ron Roenicke was happy to hear that Corey Hart was so bullish about his return from knee surgery. Hart told a visiting ESPN reporter on Wednesday he was aiming to be back in the lineup by April 20, which would beat the team’s estimate by more than a month.

But Roenicke is still operating under the assumption that Hart will be out longer.

“It does make a difference, how you go about things mentally in coming back from injuries and rehabbing, and if he’s positive he’s probably going to work harder,” Roenicke said. “But the doctors tell is it’s going to be four months [post surgery] — I’m going on that. If he comes back sooner than that, great. He says he’s a fast healer, I hope he is. But I think, realistically, we’re looking somewhere the later part of May.”

Roenicke added again: “If he’s back earlier, great.”

Hart had surgery Jan. 25 to repair an imperfection in his knee joint and fix a small meniscal tear.

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