Weird injury for Soto
LOS ANGELES -- Catcher Geovany Soto was not in Friday night's Cubs lineup because of a swollen ring finger on his left hand.
Both Soto and manager Lou Piniella say Soto will play today. Soto is a right-handed batter, meaning his left hand is the bottom hand on the bat. Apparently he hurt it awhile back when his left hand came off the bat on his follow-through of a swing. He aggravated it Thursday.
"It's nothing. I just jammed it a little bit," he said. "I'm fine."
Soto had the finger bandaged but was able to hit before Friday's game.
"I really can't remember when it happened," he said. "But I've been having it for about a month."
Piniella seemed perplexed as to how the hitter's bottom hand could come off the bat.
"The one that should leave is the top hand," Piniella said. "He swings, the bottom hand comes off and somehow the top hand rubs over the finger, and he's got a little swelling in there.
"It was either tonight or tomorrow because we were going to catch Henry (Blanco) tomorrow if we didn't catch him tonight."
Mike Fontenot may play second base today, and Reed Johnson may get a start in center field.
Drafty in here: Catcher Michael Brenly, son of broadcaster Bob Brenly, was drafted by the Cubs on Friday in the 36th round.
The Cubs wound up taking 51 players over two days: 28 pitchers, 12 infielders, eight outfielders and three catchers.
Assistant general manager Randy Bush rejoined the Cubs on Friday after taking part in the draft in Arizona and had high praise for scouting director Tim Wilken.
"It was a good couple of days," Bush said. "Timmy and his staff worked hard. There was never a letdown in the room. Every pick is thoroughly researched. You never know when you're going to get the next Geovany Soto in the 11th round."
Bush was asked what the draft "philosophy" was.
"It was get the guy who's going to be the best major-league player," he said. "It's just a philosophy Tim has. It's the right philosophy."
As for Michael Brenly, he's a 6-foot-3, 210-pounder out of UNLV.
Minor matters: Lefty Rich Hill got the victory Friday in Class AAA Iowa's 9-2 win over Omaha in the first game of a doubleheader.
It was a mixed performance for Hill. He gave up just 1 hit and 1 unearned run in 5 innings, but he walked seven and struck out five, throwing 98 pitches.
Pitcher Angel Guzman threw from flat ground Friday in Arizona, and Randy Bush said "he looked really, really good." Guzman is recovering from right-elbow surgery.
Third baseman Josh Vitters, last year's top pick, has been playing in games at Mesa, Ariz., as he rehabs from tendinitis in his left hand. Bush said Vitters should be able to join Class A Boise when it opens its season June 17.
Lefty Sean Marshall (hamstring) is scheduled to start Monday for Iowa.
Going after it: Kerry Wood fell behind Matt Kemp 2-0 Thursday night and decided to go with nothing but fastballs after that. Strike one. Strike two. Strike three. Wood struck out Kemp with the bases loaded to save a 5-4 victory.
"I tried the slider with (Juan) Pierre a few times and tried to get him to chase," said Wood, who walked Pierre after getting ahead 0-2.
"You get 2-0 (on Kemp) with the tying run on third, you really don't have a choice. He helped me out with the 2-0 swing up high. I was able to locate one on 2-1. I got to the point where I threw two good ones and just stuck with it."