New-look lineup finally on deck
GORDON WITTENMYER ON THE CUBS
First baseman Derrek Lee is expected to make his long-awaited return to the lineup, at which time his fill-in at the No. 3 spot, Alfonso Soriano, is expected to bat second for the first time since he was a rookie in 2001.
It's a move that was in the works before Lee was injured nine days ago in Philadelphia, prompting manager Lou Piniella to move Soriano from the leadoff spot to No.3. Ryan Theriot is expected to remain in the leadoff spot, where he has batted the last seven games.
Lee, Saturday's hero with a pinch-hit grand slam, didn't start again Sunday because his neck spasms got ''cranky'' the day after he took dozens of swings in preparation for the big at-bat.
But he said the neck loosened some during the day Sunday, and he anticipated being ready to start Tuesday, barring a setback.
The windy, 47-degree game-time conditions made the decision to wait easy for Piniella.
''He wanted to play,'' Piniella said. ''It was the right thing to do in this type of weather.''
EDGE OF CLIFF: Cliff Floyd, out of the lineup since aggravating an Achilles tendon Wednesday, pinch-hit again Sunday and got his money's worth despite a strikeout on a checked swing -- getting ejected from the dugout after a brief argument at the plate with umpire Joe West.
Floyd, who returned to the field, bat in hand, after the ejection to confront West, said he got mad because West told him the ejection was for ''somebody'' yelling that the ump was ''terrible.'' Floyd said he told West it wasn't him, and West said he would toss whoever said it, too.
''When you get thrown out of the game, you'd like to know it was you,'' Floyd said.
A fine might be coming from baseball discipline czar Bob Watson, but Floyd said he has a bigger authority to fear.
''Now I've got to deal with my mom,'' he said. ''Everybody's worried about Bob Watson. I'm worried about her.''
STARTING LINE: Closer Ryan Dempster, who's poised to join the Cubs' rotation, said the idea started Thursday with a conversation Piniella initiated after Dempster blew a four-run lead against the New York Mets.
''He just asked me, 'Do you like to pitch?' And I said, 'Yeah, I love pitching,''' Dempster said. ''He said, 'Do you want to start?' I said, 'Yeah.' He said, 'All right, I'll put you in the rotation.'
''It didn't shock me. But I was definitely surprised.''
NO ONE LEFT? Neal Cotts' second straight bad outing didn't sit well with Piniella, who already has had to pull ineffective lefty Scott Eyre from late, close situations.
''I don't have an explanation for it,'' Piniella said. ''We need to start getting more production out of our left-handers in the bullpen. We have relied on our right-handed bullpen a heck of a lot, and we need to get more production from our lefties.''
SHORT HOPS: Piniella on the seven-run seventh inning allowed by starter Carlos Zambrano and the bullpen: ''It's hard to score seven runs with two outs and nobody on. Last weekend in Philadelphia, we had a similar situation, and we held them to six that day.''
• • Floyd said his Achilles is better and he expects to play in the warmer weather Tuesday in San Diego.
• • Floyd's ejection was the first of the season for a Cubs player or member of the field staff.