Silva describes 'very scary moment' in ambulance

Carlos Silva will be getting medical treatment in the coming days for a heart condition that causes a rapid beat.

He also has gotten a little perspective.

"It was a very scary moment," Silva said of Sunday's trip to the hospital in Denver. "I was feeling bad, but when they put me inside the ambulance, I think it was the first time I put my family before baseball.

"The only thing I was thinking about were my kids and my family. It's very tough to be in that situation."

Silva spent Sunday night in the hospital before returning to Wrigley Field on Monday. The Cubs placed him on the disabled list for "cardiac evaluation."

He had to leave Sunday's game against the Rockies in the first inning after suffering from a rapid heartbeat. The condition is non-life-threatening, and Silva said, "Relax," when asked if he thought the condition was career threatening.

Cubs cardiologist Dr. Mark Upton will evaluate Silva in the coming days. Silva said he felt the rapid heartbeat while playing catch before Sunday's pregame warmup and again in the bullpen before the game.

Reinforcements here: The Cubs added two players from Class AAA Iowa: pitchers Casey Coleman and Thomas Diamond.

Coleman went to the bullpen, and Diamond will make his major-league debut when he starts Tuesday.

Coleman represents the first three-generation family of big-league pitchers. His father and grandfather, both named Joe, pitched in the major leagues. Coleman's grandfather no longer is living. His dad did his best work with the Detroit Tigers, and he also pitched for the Cubs in 1976.

"I got to talk to him," Casey said. "He's real excited. I talked to my mom, and the news spread really quick.

"It's good to live up to the family name and know that it's not just me doing something. I'm helping out my dad and my grandpa's name and living up to it."

The Cubs claimed Diamond off waivers from the Texas Rangers last year. He played college ball at the University of New Orleans under Randy Bush, the assistant GM of the Cubs. He had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in 2007.

"It was a lot of hard work, and a long time coming," Diamond said.

Plain talk: Cubs left fielder Alfonso Soriano said he can see all sides of the issue on White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen saying it's unfair Japanese players have interpreters while Latin American players must rely on other players or coaches.

Soriano noted that Latin American players come through the minor-league systems and can learn English on the fly, while most Japanese players are established veterans who have played in their home country and have had no need to learn English.

"I think that's good," Soriano said of using interpreters. "We have an example here with Castro. We have Ivan DeJesus as a coach, and he had to translate for Castro. If we had a translator, the players could be more comfortable."