Carlos Zambrano Plays the Dead Grandmother Card

Not to be overly discouraged by Carlos Zambrano's last outing -- when he was knocked out in the second inning after giving up eight runs on six hits -- the Cubs have trotted out the old high school excuse that his grandmother died.

Yes, and the dog ate his homework.

Without intending to trivialize the genuine sadness of Zambrano's loss of a loved one, other reasons than a death in the family must be considered in order to get the full picture of
Zambrano's potential for leading the Cubs to the World Series.

True, Zambrano returned from the funeral in his native Venezuela suffering from lack of rest, a skewed biological clock and weakness in his lower extremities. That's certainly plausible.

And though he pitched a no-hitter in his previous outing, the fact remains that the 27-year-old, six-five, 250-pound fireballer has been been putting a great deal of stress on his multi-million-dollar right arm, and thus has been given anti-inflammatory medicines to ease discomfort in his shoulder. The medication suggests he has torn muscle fibers that potentially may continue to diminish his strength and durability between now and the end of this long, long season.

Cubs manager Lou Piniella subsequently has added two more starters to his rotation, the idea being to rest his regular starters in preparation for the post-season. Prudent? Yes. A red flag? Maybe.

One of the more telling statistics about Zambrano is his 7.43 ERA in August, after which the team noticed Zambrano throwing abnormally because of stress and fatigue. Though Zambrano continues to hold the league to less than a .250 batting average, with a 14-6 record and a 3.77 overall ERA, he has been giving up nearly a hit an inning in addition to a walk every other inning.
Averaging six inning per start in his 29 appearances, his overall performance must be considered superior, the question remains as to just exactly how much he has left between now and the end of October.

Sean Marshall Poised to Replace Carlos Zambrano

Cubs starter Sean Marshall -- poised to return to Chicago from Triple A Iowa -- erased any doubts about lingering health issues as he surrendered just one run in eight innings in the 4-1 downing of Mets Pacific Coast League affiliate New Orleans.

Marshall's performance -- in which he lasted into the eighth inning and lowered his ERA to 3.41 in two starts -- virtually assures he will replace injured ace Carlos Zambrano, who is expected to miss at least one start while on a regimen of anti-inflammatory medicines due to what the team has described as relatively mild shoulder discomfort.

The 6-foot-7, 240-pound Marshall has been up and down with the Cubs since being taken in the sixth round of the 2003 draft, and had been sidelined with injuries coming out of spring camp. He was added to the Des Moines roster only 10 days ago after clearing up lingering questions about his durability.

Marshall is expected to start Tuesday.

Cubs Carlos Zambrano Injured by His Teammate?

In one of those typical Chicagoland MLB rumors as common as Vienna All Beef wieners and cheese fries, Cubs starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano's shoulder discomfort has been described as being caused or aggravated by his odd pre-game warm-up routine.

In the routine, after stretching and limbering exercises Zambrano has a catcher, trainer or fellow pitcher repeatedly slam his fists on Zambrano's shoulders as though he were an NFL linebacker being fitted for his shoulder pads.

Nice. The only problem is, Zambrano, of course, is not wearing shoulder pads.

Zambrano underwent an MRI exam Thursday, and will have another on Friday. Indications are Zambrano likely will miss a start as a replacement was to be called up from Triple A Iowa.

Carlos Zambrano, Hitting .364, May Be Cubs DH

Cubs manager Lou Piniella -- confronted with the sudden loss of outfielder Rafael Soriano due to a fractured finger -- has told reporters he is giving serious consideration to using staff ace Carlos Zambrano as the everyday designated hitter in an upcoming series against the cross-town White Sox.

Zambrano is hitting .364 with a homer and .523 slugging percentage in 44 at-bats, and has received high praise for his all-around athletic ability and zeal at the plate and on the basepaths in addition to his outstanding pitching.

Outfielder Felix Pie -- recently beginning to swing the bat a little better after being demoted to Triple A Des Moines -- is also expected to be considered, though Pie might be more likely to come off the bench.

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, meanwhile, issued a warning to Piniella that even though their two teams are in first place, neither the White Sox nor the Cubs had better not slack off if there is to be a serious chance the two will meet in the World Series.

Guillen told The Chicago Tribune that even though the White Sox have pulled away from the pack for now, the early season favorite Tigers "have a lot of talent. You can't take anything for granted. You have to continue to play."