CLEVELAND: Left-hander Shin-Soo Choo once pitched five games in seven days during a tournament for Busan High School in his native South Korea — totaling a whopping 44 innings.

That's quite a strain on a teenage arm that's still developing. Not to mention a daunting load that no one would allow a veteran major-league pitcher to consider.

''Korea don't care about players' bodies,'' said Choo, who signed with the Seattle Mariners for $1.35 million shortly after being named the Most Valuable Player and best pitcher in the 2000 World Junior Championship held in Edmonton, Alberta. ''It's just, make the championship.''

That kind of overload might have been the beginning of what went wrong with the converted outfielder's left elbow, as Choo opted to have Tommy John (ligament replacement) surgery last fall.

As one of a handful of top Tribe minor-league prospects attending the Indians Winter Development Program, Choo, 25, spent Thursday morning working out with the group at Case Western Reserve University's Veale Center.

Four months after having surgery in September, Choo just started swinging a bat lightly Wednesday, with the goal of graduating to soft-toss next week if all continues to go well.

''There's some soreness just getting back to work,'' he said. ''But now it's a healthy soreness. No pain.''

So it's all baby steps for the next few months, which the 5-
foot-11, 205-pounder figures beats the alternative.

''When I can't do 100 percent I knew (I needed surgery),'' said Choo, who was traded to the Indians with left-handed pitcher Shawn Nottingham (Jackson High) on July 26, 2006, in exchange for first baseman Ben Broussard.

''I would get up to 70 percent, maybe. Then I would shut it down and begin to start feeling good. But when I throw again, I never get back to 100. It scared me, because I can't throw at 70 percent in the outfield in the big leagues ''

The Indians left the decision up to Choo. He could rest his throwing arm during the offseason and see if the added time finally helped. Or he could have the surgery, erase all doubt, but know a long road of rehab would be ahead.

''Now that I've had surgery, I don't want to push or hurry,'' said Choo, who is out of minor-league options. ''I'm being patient.''

The big question is whether the Tribe's officials can be. Otherwise there's a risk they'll lose Choo if they don't add him to the big-league roster once he's healthy.

''He has a lot of value and can help our club,'' Indians farm director Ross Atkins said. ''But we'll make that decision when we get to that point.''

Choo started last year at Triple-A Buffalo, briefly being called up to the Indians when third baseman Andy Marte went on the disabled list April 23. Although Choo hit a game-winning home run two days later against the Mariners, his stint with the Tribe lasted less than two weeks.

Back in Buffalo, Choo soon began to battle soreness in the elbow, limiting him to three home runs and 26 RBI before he landed on the disabled list and missed several months.

''He's a guy who can hit for power and average and is a very athletic outfielder,'' Atkins said. ''He's not that marquee, five-tool type of guy, but there's no doubt he's got tons of ability.''

And while Choo is still two weeks away from starting to throw again, he's satisfied to know that getting his arm strength back to 100 percent is again an attainable goal.