Big Z admits to arm fatigue

Perhaps the most common question in Cubdom these days is, what the heck is wrong with Carlos Zambrano?

Sore arm? Dead arm?

It's a topic that gets Cubs manager Lou Piniella going a little, like he did before Saturday's loss to Philadelphia.

"Zambrano doesn't have a sore arm, no, no, no," Piniella said. "And he doesn't have a dead arm. He might have a little bit of a tired arm."

Earlier in the day, though, Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild deemed it a dead arm and Zambrano agreed.

"He's going through a little dead-arm period," Rothschild said.

"Yeah I think so," Zambrano concurred.

"He's pitched a lot of innings over the past six or seven years," Rothschild said. "You can compare him with a lot of people; I don't know anyone who's logged the innings and pitches that he has."

"It's not only me. It happens to other pitchers, especially when you are a power pitcher," Big Z said. "The most important thing and the thing to learn here is to know how to pitch with this."

This isn't the first time Zambrano has struggled with whatever exactly this is and still doesn't have a formula for getting rid of it.

"I've been doing all my things and my work and have been working out," he said. "I'm trying to throw as hard as I can, and you see the (radar) gun - 91, 88 (mph). Everybody goes through these, and I just have to wait for my arm strength and my arm power to come back."

It hasn't been pretty to watch Zambrano struggle to a 1-1 mark and a 7.43 ERA in 5 August starts. He hasn't enjoyed it either, losing his cool on occasion during the skid and causing Gatorade coolers everywhere to shiver in his presence.

"He expects a lot out of himself," Rothschild said of his emotional right-hander. "Hopefully it's just something he's going through and he'll rebound and then it will become a dead issue."

Zambrano - unlike some in Cub Nation - doesn't seem too concerned about his arm coming back for the stretch run.

"You have to do whatever it takes to rest your arm," he said. "I didn't do a side session (Friday) or the day before - I just played long catch and I think it will work for me.

"I don't feel any pain in my arm. It feels good."