Harden to start Saturday
Cubs manager Lou Piniella created some intrigue early Wednesday when he said he wasn't sure what his starting rotation would be this weekend. After the game, he cleared things up by saying Jason Marquis would start Friday and newcomer Rich Harden would go Saturday.
Piniella also spelled out his rotation for the games right after the all-star break.
For the July 18-21 series at Houston, they'll open with Ted Lilly, Carlos Zambrano and Ryan Dempster. After that, they'll go with Harden and Jason Marquis to begin the following series, at Arizona, with Lilly presumably going in the third game.
Piniella sounded flustered early Wednesday when reporters asked what the rotation would be this weekend, specifically when Harden will pitch.
"I just met the two pitchers from Oakland, said hello," Piniella said of Harden and Chad Gaudin, obtained in Tuesday's six-player trade. "We'll sit down and talk to Rich sometime later to day or tomorrow. Chad, we're going to put in the bullpen. He's going to pitch in the middle."
Harden pitched this past Sunday against the White Sox, and concerns have been raised about his right shoulder. A strain of the shoulder put Harden on the disabled list for a month this year, and the Cubs promised a cautious approach.
The Cubs and Harden insist he's fine.
As for lefty Sean Marshall, he could end up back at Class AAAA Iowa after the break even though he has turned in quality starts his last two times out.
"Look, I know you all are going to ask this," Piniella said."
Soriano slowed: Lou Piniella acknowledged Wednesday that left fielder Alfonso Soriano probably won't be back until the second series after the break.
Soriano is recovering from a broken left hand, suffered June 11. His hand experienced "weakness" after he took batting practice last Saturday at St. Louis.
Piniella reiterated that it probably would help Soriano to do a minor-league rehab stint, even if Soriano doesn't want to go. Soriano can refuse the rehab.
"Certainly to get some at-bats, I think, would help him," Piniella said. "And get some outfield play in."
Next for Hendry: One day after pulling off the trade with Oakland, general manager Jim Hendry was asked what's next.
"You don't put yourself in a spot right now of, 'Hey, we might need this, we might need that,'" Hendry said. "You get (Alfonso) Soriano back. You feel like you're fully in good health. You see how it plays out internally first. You have some numbers problems with some people who might have to go down (to the minor leagues). You have some excess with pitchers that we'll have to sort out by the end of the break.
"You never get out of the mind-set you might try to do some things that make you better. But you also don't want to be just in the mode of, 'Oh, we've got to keep adding guys.' Let's not forget we've got seven guys in the All-Star Game. We've just added a high-end starter. The guys who aren't going to the All-Star Game have done a real good job here in the first half."
Eyre update: Reliever Scott Eyre probably will throw for Class A Peoria today at Kane County and Saturday against Quad Cities as he continues his rehab from a left-groin strain. The Cubs will wait until after the break to activate Eyre.