Pagan up, Pie down in center-field shuffle
Move gives Piniella better hitter against left-handed pitching
Switch-hitting Angel Pagan, who can play all three outfield spots, was recalled from Iowa to take Pie's place on the roster. Pagan started in center field Thursday in place of Jacque Jones against left-hander Paul Maholm and homered and singled in his season debut.
General manager Jim Hendry said the decision was made late Wednesday after the Cubs hung on for a 1-0 victory in which the lefty-hitting Jones left nine runners on base, going 0-for-4 against left-handed starter Tom Gorzelanny and lefty reliever John Grabow.
''Last night was an example where, on certain days, certain situations, a right-handed [hitter] might help there,'' Hendry said. ''It's the right thing to do now.''
The move comes more than a week after Jones began to take over the everyday duties in center field, leaving Pie to be used mostly as a late-inning defensive replacement.
''It was early in the season for me to sit veterans,'' manager Lou Piniella said. ''You've got to give them more time, and that's exactly what we did. If there's an injury or whatever reason and we bring Pie up again, we'll put him out there to play. But right now wasn't the time, in April or May, to sit veteran players down. You give them more time and you give them more respect.''
Hendry said he's confident Pie will be back this season.
''Absolutely,'' he said. ''And he'll be playing here for a long time.''
Piniella and Hendry praised the way Pie handled himself, along with his exceptional speed, arm and fielding skills.
''It's been a good learning curve for him,'' Piniella said. ''He got a good taste of it. He got about 50 at-bats [49, hitting .224]. He knows what he needs to work on, and the next time he comes here, he knows exactly what to expect and he's already been through it once.''
Pie, who was recalled April 17 after Alfonso Soriano strained a hamstring, said he appreciated the chance to make his big-league debut and that he learned a lot.
''It's a different game,'' he said, ''and now I go down there a different [player] and play hard and work hard. ... I'll do what they need me to do. If you send me to rookie ball, I'll go to rookie ball and play.''
As for Pagan, he said he didn't get the call until 1 a.m. Thursday.
''I didn't see it coming. I thought Pie was playing pretty good,'' said Pagan, who was batting .250 at Iowa and .308 since April.
He joins the team just in time for a road trip that includes four games against the New York Mets, his original organization.
SHORT HOPS: Piniella said his alternating use of Ryan Theriot and Cesar Izturis at shortstop is not so much a platoon as it is a way to keep the hot-hitting Theriot in the lineup. Theriot, who's batting .367 during the last four weeks, has started 11 of the Cubs' last 12 games at short or second base. ''He's earned it,'' Piniella said.
• • Henry Blanco, who hadn't caught since April 28 because of a herniated disc in his neck, started behind the plate Thursday.
• • Right-hander Wade Miller, who has been on the disabled list since April 23 because of back spasms, has been throwing from a mound and is expected to make a rehab start for Class AA Tennessee on Tuesday in Knoxville. He'll have 30 days to earn back his roster spot or the Cubs will have to make another move with him.
• • First-base coach Matt Sinatro, who spent Tuesday night in the hospital undergoing tests for possible blood clots, returned to the coaching box and said he felt fine.
• • Kerry Wood (shoulder) has not thrown from a mound since suffering a setback in the final week of spring training, Hendry said.