Future could be now
Soriano's hamstring injury could mean top prospect Pie's long-awaited arrival
The cries for Felix Pie could be heard almost from the moment Alfonso Soriano rose slowly from the grass in the fifth inning and rubbed his injured left hamstring.
Soriano, who strained his hamstring Monday night on a sliding trap of a shallow fly ball during the Cubs' 12-4 victory over the San Diego Padres, is to have his playing status evaluated day-to-day, the team announced.
But with games scheduled for the next 10 days and with third baseman Aramis Ramirez (wrist) and second baseman Mark DeRosa (back) nursing minor ailments in recent days, the likelier scenario for the Cubs' $136 million newcomer is a stretch on the 15-day disabled list.
(AP)
''We're going to know more [today],'' Piniella said.
Soriano said he didn't have a feel for whether the DL is necessary.
''If it's not bad, I want to take maybe, like, five or six days,'' he said.
If that's the best-case scenario, then count on a DL move. The Cubs aren't likely to play around in April with an often-nagging hamstring -- or go the better part of a week down a key member of a shaky outfield.
That means one of two probable scenarios:
• • Promoting Pie, the Cubs' ''center fielder of the future'' and putting him in the every-day lineup, probably in center field. Pie likely would alternate between second in the order and the Nos. 7 and 8 spots, with Ryan Theriot perhaps taking Soriano's leadoff spot.
• • Promoting Angel Pagan, a switch hitter who can play all three outfield spots and who was left off the opening roster only because the Cubs chose to carry an extra pitcher. Pagan, hitting .273 after a three-hit game Monday at Iowa, would be used as a movable piece in a four-man outfield, with Jacque Jones -- who replaced Soriano in center Monday -- likely taking the every-day role there.
Pie is clearly the Cubs' best chance to add a productive player from the minors.
''He's gone down there and worked on exactly what Lou told him to,'' general manager Jim Hendry said before Monday's game. ''He's playing very well. That's all you can expect out of a young man.
''When he's as close as he is to coming up here and hopefully playing here for years, you want him to go down and work on the things that, at his age and experience level, need some touching up. And he's doing that. He's playing outstanding.''
Already the top hitting prospect in the organization, Pie caught Piniella's eye in spring training and accelerated offensively after a few hitting tips from Piniella.
After another two-hit game Monday, including a double, he's batting .444 with nine walks and five strikeouts, reversing a free-swinging career trend.
''That's huge,'' Hendry said. ''That's one of the things we've talked to him about. And at that level, we wanted him to hit for a higher average, which he is. He's always going to play good defense. And he's a winning-type guy. I couldn't be happier with this guy.''
As for the game Monday, the Cubs' moribund offense broke out its biggest game of the young season, backing starter Jason Marquis (1-1) with a 14-hit attack that included home runs by Michael Barrett, Mark DeRosa and Cliff Floyd.
''Outside of [Soriano],'' Piniella said, ''it was really a nice night for us.''
