By SCOTT PETRAK

Staff Writer

BEREA — Left guard Eric Steinbach walked through the locker room Friday morning with a spring in his step.

He hadn’t been in the locker room during the period open to the media in two weeks, but he had a purpose Friday. His uniform was in his locker and he needed to get dressed for practice for the first time since the Steelers game in Week 2.

“It’s still day to day. But all week long it’s gotten better and stronger,” he said of his right shoulder. “I’m feeling pretty good. I still gotta go out there (Friday) and see what I can do in a little live play.”

Steinbach was limited in practice and listed as questionable (50-50) on the official injury report for Sunday’s game in Cincinnati. He spent four years with the Bengals before signing with the Browns last year.

“I’d love to come back and play the old team, but an injury’s an injury,” he said.

There have been conflicting reports about the severity of the shoulder injury, including one that he has a rotator cuff problem. Steinbach would say only that it’s a sore shoulder. Before Sunday in Baltimore, he hadn’t missed a game since his rookie year.

“That’s what killed me last week, that’s why I’m trying to get back,” he said.

 INNOCENT MAN: Linebacker Andra Davis took exception to an ESPN.com report that said he reached under the helmet of Ravens running back Willis McGahee and poked him in the eye. McGahee left the game twice with eye injuries, and the Ravens filed a complaint with the league. The league said there was no evidence of the Browns intentionally trying to hurt him. “I’ve been playing in this league for seven years and not one person or one player can tell you I’m a dirty player, that I intentionally try to hurt somebody,” Davis said. “To go out and deliberately try to hurt somebody, that’s not my nature. To permanently hurt somebody and damage them for the rest of their lives, there’s no place in football for that.”

 INJURY REPORT: Receiver Donte Stallworth (quadriceps) and linebacker Willie McGinest (hamstring) didn’t practice and were listed as doubtful. Stallworth had been limited Wednesday and Thursday in his return to practice. He signed a seven-year, $35 million contract in the offseason with $10 million guaranteed but hasn’t played since getting injured in warm-ups for the opener. He said this week the issue isn’t pain tolerance. “It’s just a matter of me being able to go out and making sure I can play well and not get it reinjured and not hurt the team,” he said. “I’ve still got to get strength back in it. Pain has nothing to do with it right now.” … Linebacker Kamerion Wimbley (groin), guard Ryan Tucker (hip) and special teamer Kris Griffin (calf) are questionable. … The Bengals added quarterback Carson Palmer (elbow) to the injury report as questionable. “Carson has developed some carryover soreness from last week’s game,” coach Marvin Lewis said. “He has told us he’s going to be ready to play, but he is missing some practice reps today.” … Safety Dexter Jackson (thumb) was declared out, and cornerback Johnathan Joseph (ankle) listed as doubtful.

 CAST PARTY: Right tackle Kevin Shaffer has a cast on his right hand that encloses three fingers and leaves the index finger and thumb mobile. He said he injured it in the opener and tried to play with a smaller cast that didn’t work. “I was pleasantly surprised the first day of practice, it’s a little bit better than I thought,” he said of the new cast. “I didn’t really notice it. And I don’t have any pain like I did before.” Shaffer said he can’t squeeze those three fingers, but it’s less of an issue because it’s the right hand, his outside hand at right tackle. He also joked that the cast will have a hidden benefit when it comes to holding penalties. “I’ll get half as many now,” he said. Defensive lineman Shaun Smith is also playing with a cast.

Petrak may be reached at spetrak@chroniclet.com or 440-329-7136.