Piniella: Hill nowhere near ready to return

If the Cubs have to recall a starting pitcher from Iowa this week for any reason, that pitcher won't be Rich Hill manager Lou Piniella said Sunday.

Demoted to Class AAA Iowa on May 3 to work on his control, Hill suffered a setback on Friday night when he was forced to leave his start at Round Rock (Texas) with a stiff back after 2¿ innings.

But back pain isn't the reason Hill would be passed over in favor of Kevin Hart or Sean Marshall.

"I talked to (assistant general manager) Randy Bush," Piniella said. "Randy saw him pitch and of the three that are (at Iowa) starting he's the furthest away. He's got some work to do."

Asked to clarify whether his opinion was based on Hill's back flareup, Piniella said, "No, the actual pitching. I don't know about the back. I mean, I read the report, but I don't know the extent of it. He's got to work his way out of it, that's all."

Hill is 1-2 with an ERA of 3.38 for Iowa.

Booster shot: Bobby Howry gave up a walk and an infield single in the seventh inning Sunday, but he escaped a first-and-third jam by getting Freddy Sanchez to fly out harmlessly to Kosuke Fukudome in right field to preserve a 1-run lead.

The scoreless inning provided a needed confidence boost for Howry, who had given up 31 hits in 19 previous appearances and entered the game with an ERA of 6.53.

"It's nice to feel like you did something to actually contribute to a win," Howry said. "It's been a rough start, but I've been through it before. I know what I'm capable of doing. It's just a matter of getting back on track again."

Road woes: Mark DeRosa is hitting .300 after his 1-for-3 outing Sunday. His average could climb if he can improve on his .132 batting average in road games.

"I had one bad slump when I went 1-for-16 on the road trip through St. Louis and Cincinnati," DeRosa said. "It skews the numbers 100 percent. Had I done that at home, it would have done the same thing. I'd like to think that I go about my business the same at home as on the road."