Miller out, for time being
Miller, who has a 10.54 ERA as the fifth starter, was the odd man out when the Cubs added a seventh pitcher to the bullpen, recalling right-hander Rocky Cherry from Class AAA Iowa.
After battling back from 2005 shoulder surgery to win the fifth-starter job this spring, Miller lost the job -- and put his future with the Cubs in jeopardy -- with a third straight poor outing Sunday in the Cubs' 12-9 extra-inning loss to St. Louis.
The fifth spot comes up in the rotation again next Tuesday in Pittsburgh, at which time the Cubs plan to recall Angel Guzman, who was sent to Iowa last week to get stretched out for this possibility.
''Hopefully, we'll get [Miller] back on track and send him out for some rehabs and he can come back and help us,'' general manager Jim Hendry said. ''We'd love to be able to find a way to keep him and have him help, but he'd probably be the first to tell you it couldn't continue the way the first couple starts have gone.
''He's a terrific guy and he's been a warrior his whole career, so we'd like to give him another shot. And I'm one to believe that his career's not over and that he's still got a little bit left in the tank, as he showed us late in the spring when he earned the job.
''We kind of figured it would go a little better than this and so far it hasn't, but that doesn't mean it's the end of the line for him.''
OUTFIELD SHUFFLE: Pie survived Monday's round of roster moves, but he might need a big week to keep his big-league job beyond next Tuesday, when the Cubs have to add a pitcher.
Pie wasn't in the starting lineup Monday as manager Lou Piniella installed Alfonso Soriano in left field -- for good, he said -- and started Jacque Jones in center. Floyd started in right for the first time since 2002 with the Boston Red Sox.
''If we're going to get Floyd in the lineup, there's no short-center fielder here,'' Piniella said. ''He'll have to play right. I mean, what can we do?''
It was the 10th outfield alignment, involving seven players, in 18 games -- and the seventh in the last eight games.
''Nobody's made Lou feel like, 'I should be playing every day.' I know I haven't,'' said Floyd, who doesn't necessarily want to play right but said he'd be happy anywhere if he's hitting well. ''Nobody has solidified anything out there, so Lou is trying to light a fire to get somebody to step up.''
In 13 years in the big leagues, Floyd said he never has been in an outfield in such a state of flux.
''It's up to the manager to adjust,'' Piniella said of the hard-to-fit pieces. ''What we'd like to do is start getting some good offense from our outfield.''
SANTO IMPROVING: Cubs radio broadcaster Ron Santo was still in the hospital Monday, but his condition had improved enough that team officials expected him to be released by midweek.
Santo, 67, who had heart surgery in 1999, was hospitalized Saturday night because of an irregular heartbeat. He has been prescribed medication and could rejoin the WGN-AM (720) crew during the next homestand, which starts May 4 against Washington.
SHORT HOPS: Felix Pie had his uniform number changed before Monday's game from No. 17 to the No. 20 he wore in the minor leagues.
• • Aramis Ramirez's third- inning home run was the 200th of his career.