Pitcher Jeff Samardzija sent down to Iowa

MILWAUKEE - The Cubs are trying a different approach with pitcher Jeff Samardzija.

They sent him to Class AAA Iowa on Saturday when they activated Ted Lilly off the disabled list to start against the Brewers.

Instead of sending Samardzija to the minor leagues to be a starting pitcher, as they've done in the past, the Cubs will have him work out of Iowa's bullpen.

"We've done it with sending him down and starting him and then bringing him back up as a reliever, and that's not, right now, worked too well," said pitching coach Larry Rothschild. "He's going to go down there and relieve. As he gets situated into relieving, and hopefully close some games, and let him get ready to be in the bullpen."

Drafted in 2006, Samardzija has appeared in 77 minor-league games, 71 as a starter. In the big leagues, he has appeared in 50 games, but only 2 as a starter.

He went to spring training and competed for a starting job before being sent to the bullpen. His work as a starter in the spring was superior to that in the pen. During the season, he was 0-1 with an 18.90 ERA and a high WHIP (walks plus hits per 1 inning pitched) of 3.30.

"Oftentimes, when you put a guy who's been starting in the bullpen, you see him transitioning to more power and going after people more aggressively," Rothschild said. "That didn't happen in this case. I think he was still trying to keep himself under control a lot. I think it's really just getting adapted to what you have to do.

"As a starter, he had smoothed a lot of things out. But then when he went to the bullpen, it looked like he got uncomfortable. He's going to have to get adapted and get ready in the bullpen coming into games and pound the strike zone with the two and three pitches."

Getting closer: Reliever Esmailin Caridad continues to rehab in Arizona, and manager Lou Piniella said he could be ready to come off the DL at the end of the upcoming homestand. Caridad has a strained right forearm.

He's likely to see action in minor-league games in Arizona before being activated. He went on the DL April 14, retroactive to April 12.