Len & Bob's baseball blog

Some news and notes as we get set for the series finale vs. Cincinnati.

LH Scott Eyre, who is on the DL with elbow inflammation, will pitch in
an extended spring game this weekend as he works his way back.

The Cubs will miss Johan Santana early next week when the Mets come
in. RHPs John Maine and Nelson Figueroa are the scheduled starters
for that quick 2-game set.

It would be nice to see the Cubs LH starters get it going the next 2
days as Ted Lilly works today and Rich Hill on Friday. In Lilly's
case, his arm strength seems to be a little off, but physically,
there's nothing fundamentally wrong with him. I suppose some could
call this a dead-arm period for him. Whatever is happening, he
certainly wants to get better and go deeper into a ballgame. He
hasn't yet gotten to the 6th inning.

Lastly, Gerald Perry and Lou Piniella are working closely with Felix
Pie on shortening his swing. Last night, Felix took a walk late in
the game, which was a good sign. They are videotaping his work so he
can see what he's doing and the results of his work. Lou said there
is no rush on getting him back in the lineup. The key is to get him
where he needs to be mechanically and maybe even mentally before
putting him back in the lineup. Lou wants him to feel comfortable
first. The good news is, the Cubs continue to win, so there isn't a
sense of urgency to send him down to the minors. Plus, his defense in
CF has been excellent.

Len