The Cubs are considering sending former Rookie of the Year Jerome Walton back to the minors briefly to let him get some at-bats before returning to the active major-league roster.
Manager Jim Lefebvre says if Walton does go down, it would only be for a short rehabilitation assignment.
Walton went on the 15-day disabled list with a strained groin on March 28 and has been eligible to return to active duty since Sunday. Walton ran and hit before Tuesday night`s game and Lefebvre said he was ”close to 100 percent.”
But Lefebvre says he believes once an injured player says he is 100 percent, a manager should wait three more days.
What`s left: Whether he spends time in the minors or not, Walton probably won`t return to his old spot in center field. Lefebvre won`t say it, but Sammy Sosa has locked up the center-field spot with his play the first seven games of the season.
Sosa played most of his amateur and early professional career in center, but had been expected to play left when he came to the Cubs in the George Bell trade just before the start of the season.
Saving Grace: The Cubs made four errors Tuesday night, but it could have been worse. Although he made one error, Mark Grace saved teammates from making two more with good plays at first base.
He scooped a high-hop throw from Shawon Dunston in the first inning and went high to pull down a second errant throw by Gary Scott in the third inning. Through the first seven games this year, Grace has saved four errors by his teammates with good plays.
Another streak ends: Grace did make a throwing error Tuesday to snap a personal 58-game errorless streak. It was his first throwing error since July 24, 1991-72 games ago.
Hector the hitter: Hector Villanueva is more than a good hitter, he`s a good student of hitting. Just ask him and he can rattle off the length and weight of bat used by many of the great hitting stars of the past-particularly the Latin players.
”The Latin guys were the ones,” Villanueva says. ”They used to use some big bats. Roberto (Clemente) swung a 38-38 (38 inches, 38 ounces). Orlando Cepeda used a 39-38. Nowadays, nobody uses that big a bat that I know of.” Villanueva says he swings one of the bigger bats in the league today-35 inches, 33 ounces-though teammate Andre Dawson beats him out with a 35-34.
Chasing Tinker: Ryne Sandberg stole the 299th base of his career after walking in the first inning against the Pirates. He needs five more to tie Joe Tinker for second on the Cubs` all-time list. The Cub career leader is Frank Chance with 404 stolen bases.