Lilly could return to rotation soon

Left-handed starter Ted Lilly could be pitching for the Cubs as soon as next weekend in Milwaukee, manager Lou Piniella said Friday.

Lilly will make his second minor-league rehabilitation start Monday for the Class A Peoria Chiefs when they host Burlington. He threw 51 pitches in his first rehab stint for Class AAA Iowa on Wednesday, allowing 1 earned run on 1 hit in 4 innings.

"We're going to let him go 75 to 80 pitches and if he's fine after that one, we'll get him back in the rotation either over the weekend in Milwaukee or as soon as we get back here at home (against Washington)," Piniella said.

Lilly's return will likely mean a shift to the bullpen for either Carlos Silva or Tom Gorzelanny, the latter of whom starts today against Houston. Piniella said Silva and Gorzelanny will each get another start next week against the Mets in New York.

Cashner call-up? Piniella shot down a published report Friday that speculated the Cubs would soon call up right-hander Andrew Cashner from Class AA Tennessee to shore up the shaky bullpen. Cashner is 1-0 with an ERA of 4.35 in 2 starts for the Smokies. He has struck out 20 and walked only two in 101/3 innings.

"It surprised me," Piniella said of the report. "I think I learn more reading newspapers than I do talking to my front office. I don't know where that came from. I have no idea. The young man - we get the minor-league reports, obviously - has had 2 really nice starts. But outside of that his name has not been discussed."

Walks in the park: Entering Friday's game against Houston, the Cubs' bullpen had issued 16 walks and hit three batters in 262/3 combined innings, an underlying reason the 'pen has more combined losses (4) than saves (3).

"We can't walk people," Piniella said. "That's been as big a bugaboo as anything. We talked all spring about, 'Boy, we're not walking people.' We complimented our staff on that numerous times. Now, all the sudden we're here in the season and we're walking people, and they're finding ways to score.

"In this park here, especially when the wind's blowing out a little bit and the ball's carrying, if you put people on base they're going to find ways to score. And that's exactly what's been happening."

Relievers John Grabow and Carlos Marmol walked none in 2 innings of relief Friday.