Zambrano's not worried about neck
Carlos Zambrano sounded the all-clear Friday about his pain in the neck.
Zambrano saw the doctor after Thursday's start and got an X-ray for a lingering neck problem.
“I've been having treatments the last 3 or 4 starts,” he said. “Sometimes it doesn't bother me. Yesterday, it bothered me. It's nothing to worry about. I saw the doctor yesterday and had a little knot in my (trapezius). He said we'll treat it, and it will go away.”
Zambrano has had novel injury causes in the past, such as too much time on the computer. This one, he says, is a combination of sleeping and watching TV.
“The way I sleep, I always watch TV at home with my head on the pillow,” he said. “The chiropractor told me to sit on my back and not on my shoulder. I always sit like that and watch TV at home. They say that's part of what it was. I always sleep on my shoulder. I always watch TV like that at home when I'm in bed.”
Rotation roulette:The Cubs welcomed pitcher Rodrigo Lopez to Wrigley Field on Friday and optioned reliever Justin Berg to Class AAA Iowa. Lopez came to the Cubs Thursday in a trade from Atlanta. The Cubs sent the Braves minor league pitcher Ryan Buchter.Look for Lopez to start Monday's Memorial Day game against Houston. He'll replace Casey Coleman, who was preparing for a return trip back to Class AAA Iowa as Randy Wells gets ready to come off the disabled list and start Saturday. At the Braves' Class AAA Gwinnett club this year, Lopez was 6-1 with a 2.59 ERA.#8220;I was surprised,#8221; said the 35-year-old Lopez. #8220;I was talking with my agent about 10 days ago about teams that were interested in me, and he said nobody was interested. We stopped talking for quite a bit. Yesterday, I was in Buffalo, and I got a phone call saying I had been traded to the Cubs.#8220;Besides a big-league club, this is a club with a lot of history.#8221;Walking wounded:The Cubs hope to have Jeff Baker and Reed Johnson back in the lineup Saturday against Pittsburgh left-hander Paul Maholm. Baker has been battling a groin injury, and Johnson has lingering leg and back issues. #8220;I don't want to put (Johnson) or Baker in a situation where I'm asking too much from them right now and I lose them,#8221; said manager Mike Quade. #8220;I'm anxious to see how they are tomorrow especially because they both have very good numbers against Maholm, and we'd love to have them in the lineup. Tomorrow will be very telling in both their cases.#8221;Minor matters:Cubs farm director Oneri Fleita said top prospect Brett Jackson will return to action Monday with Class AA Tennessee. Jackson went on the disabled list earlier this month with a strained ligament in his lefty pinkie, an injury he suffered diving into a base. #8220;Just a little soreness that he had to get over,#8221; Oneri said of Jackson's seemingly long recovery. #8220;We want to make sure he's healthy so he doesn't do anything different in his swing, pick up any bad habits. He's ready to roll.#8221;Jackson was the Cubs' No. 1 draft pick in 2009.