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CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs surged ahead early in a 6-2 victory over the San Diego Padres in the third of a four-game set at Wrigley Field on Wednesday.

How it happened: Former Cub and No. 1 draft pick Andrew Cashner started for the first time against Chicago. Cashner was traded to San Diego for first baseman Anthony Rizzo in 2011. Manager Dale Sveum started seven left-handed hitters in his lineup. Starlin Castro started the scoring with an RBI single that plated Julio Borbon in the first inning. Cubs starting pitcher Scott Feldman doubled in the second run, scoring Darwin Barney in the second inning. Cashner's pitch count (76 through three innings) skyrocketed in the third, thanks in large part to a two-run double by catcher Dioner Navarro. Cashner’s 89th pitch was an RBI groundout off the bat of Luis Valbuena. Nate Schierholtz doubled home the sixth run in the seventh inning. San Diego second baseman Jedd Gyorko hits his first major league home run to break up Feldman's shutout in the eighth. Chase Headley homered with one out in the ninth.

What it means: The Cubs have won six of their past nine games. With a win on Thursday, they can wrap up their second straight series victory. Feldman pitched his first career complete game as he records his second consecutive win while striking out 12. That matches his career high. After a rough beginning to the season, the veteran pitcher has been outstanding as of late.

Outside the box: Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said infielder Ian Stewart is not ready to return to the major leagues; he's rehabbing a leg injury in the minors. Teams can send a player out for only 20 days on a rehab assignment. “You can always get recertified if you are not healthy yet," Epstein said. "He has had some bumps and bruises along the way. We will just monitor it daily and see how he is doing.” … Another rehab began for the Cubs as RHP Matt Garza threw 42 pitches in 2⅔ innings at Double-A on Wednesday. Garza is rehabbing from a strained side muscle he injured on Feb. 17. Sveum said Garza will return to the team in between minor league starts. He also stated his pitcher would be re-evaluated after the third outing.

Up next: Chicago LHP Travis Wood (2-1, 2.25 ERA) faces Padres LHP Eric Stults (2-2, 5.67 ERA) in Thursday's series finale.

CHICAGO -- Even if the Chicago Cubs have a spot on their roster for rehabbing third baseman Ian Stewart he may not be ready to return to the major leagues just yet.

“Right this second, I don’t think I’m ready,” Stewart told the Des Moines Register after going 0-4 on Tuesday for Triple-A Iowa. “That’s just me being honest and knowing myself as a player.”

Stewart has been out since early in spring training with a quad injury. He’s been rehabbing in Iowa Since mid-April, but per the collective bargaining agreement position players only have 20 days of rehab time before they have to be recalled -- although the Cubs could option him right back to the minors. Friday will be Stewart’s 20th day there.

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The weather in Chicago is even affecting rehabbing Chicago Cubs players as pitcher Matt Garza's start at Class-A Kane County on Friday has been canceled due to concerns about the field conditions. Instead, Garza will travel with the Cubs to Milwaukee this weekend and throw a simulated game there.

"Tomorrow (Friday) will just be like two innings, like a 35-pitch simulation type thing," manager Dale Sveum said before Thursday's game against the Texas Rangers.

If all goes well Garza will then pitch for Double-A Tennessee as he continues to recover from a lat injury suffered early in spring training. It caused him to miss the entire Cactus League season.

Third baseman Ian Stewart was supposed to play in games at Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday and Thursday but rain-outs there have postponed his rehab from a quad injury also suffered early in spring.

"He was supposed to play three, nine-inning games in a row and then got rained out yesterday and rained out already today (Thursday)," Sveum said. "It's still a slow process."

Stewart is 0-7 in two games for Iowa with four strikeouts. He's to play there for about two weeks before rejoining the Cubs.

ATLANTA -- Chicago Cubs third baseman Ian Stewart participated in a minor league game in Arizona on Saturday as he continues to recover from a quad injury, manager Dale Sveum said.

"He'll get 4-6 at bats," Sveum said. "He ran [Friday] at 80/90 percent. It's a gradual progression."

Stewart has been out since early in spring training when he hurt his left quad running the bases. He attempted a comeback in March but fluid had to be drained from the area setting him back again. Saturday was his first game since that set-back.

"If everything goes well, two weeks," Sveum said of Stewart's expected return to the Cubs. "Two to three weeks."

Stewart will eventually go on a rehab assignment to the minor leagues before joining the Cubs.

He played in just 55 games last season because of a wrist injury he says he has fully recovered from.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- The Chicago Cubs have yet to decide if second baseman Darwin Barney will go on the disabled list with an injured knee, but he won't start in the season-opening game on Monday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Barney hurt his left knee chasing down a popup in the Cubs final exhibition game of spring training in Houston on Saturday. Brent Lillibridge will start in his place and bat eighth.

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The Chicago Cubs' infield could be one of the better ones in the National League -- at least on defense.

Manager Dale Sveum truly believes that, and with a Gold Glove winner at second base in Darwin Barney and a two-time All-Star at shortstop in Starlin Castro, it would be hard to argue with him.

Anthony Rizzo is more than capable at first base and although Ian Stewart is a natural third baseman, his replacement for now, Luis Valbuena, showed last season he could play the position. Welington Castillo is the X factor as a first time starting catcher.

The questions come on offense. Can Barney be better? And will Rizzo do it for a full year as most expect? Castro remains the centerpiece. He has all the abilities to put together a breakout year and should be a bigger threat with his speed and power. Castillo has pop but hit under .200 in spring training.

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GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Of the numerous spring training injuries the Chicago Cubs have suffered this year there’s one that bothers manager Dale Sveum more than the others.

“The one disappointment was (Matt) Garza,” Sveum said Sunday before his team played the Cleveland Indians. “Right now Garza is the one, if we had him opening day, that changes things around a little bit. We’d have three guys like that at the top.”

Garza has been out with a lat injury on his left side since early in spring training. This, after missing time in the second half last year due to an elbow strain.

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GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Chicago Cubs pitcher Scott Baker won't pitch again for at least a month after doctors concluded he has a muscle strain in his arm as he attempts to return from the Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss all of last season.

"It's bad news," manager Dale Sveum said. "It's somebody obviously we were counting on to be there in mid-April or May if everything went alright."

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MESA, Ariz. -- Dave Sappelt made the roster as a fifth outfielder after the Chicago Cubs paired down their roster to 35 players on Friday.

Pitchers Chris Rusin, Drew Carpenter, Jaye Chapman, Casey Coleman, Jensen Lewis and Blake Parker will report to minor league camp as will infielders Edwin Maysonet and Brad Nelson. Outfielders Brian Bogusevic and Darnell McDonald also were sent down.

"Those days you dread," manager Dame Sveum said Friday morning. "Especially a lot of those guys that went down today, they had good springs. Bogusevic had a really good spring training. The Colemans, the Parkers, they all threw the ball well."

The final infield position is down to Steve Clevenger and Alberto Gonzalez. Gonzalez is the likely candidate unless the Cubs go outside the organization.

"There's still things that can happen through guys getting released and waiver wires and all that," Sveum said.

The bullpen has one spot open among four players with Hector Rondon and Michael Bowden securing jobs along with James Russell, Shawn Camp, Kyuji Fujikawa and Carlos Marmol. That leaves lefty Hisanori Takahashi battling with righties Rafael Dolis, Zach Putnam and Cory Wade for the final spot.

Four players including Matt Garza, Scott Baker, Ian Stewart and Arodys Vizcaino will start the season on the disabled list.

The third base position continues to be a mystery for the Chicago Cubs.

Projected starter Ian Stewart has just begun to DH recovering from a strained quad he suffered in February. Stewart had numerous plate appearances in a minor league game on Thursday but came up to stiff to take his last at bat.

”I don’t think we are taking anybody (25 man roster) who isn’t one hundred percent” said manager Dale Sveum. “Whatever happens we are going to make sure he is ready to play every day.”

Stewart, who signed a one-year, $2 million deal in December, has been plagued by injuries the last three seasons. He underwent left wrist surgery last July and has not competed in a game since June 13 2012.

”He will have a couple of recovery days," said Sveum. “He will get some at-bats on the 17th. That is only at-bats, who knows when he is going to get on the field."

Infielder Luis Valbuena will most likely be the Cubs opening day third baseman if Stewart isn’t ready to start. Stewart said on Friday that he thinks he will be ready to claim his position on the team by opening day.

"I am glad he feels that way," Sveum said. “I can’t share anything because I haven’t seen him play. Confidence and feeling the best you can mentally has a lot to do with people's struggles at the plate. When you overcome some off those things that is a really, really good sign. Right now I can’t say that because he hasn’t played any games."

Cubs third baseman Ian Stewart talks about his confidence level now that his injured wrist is healthy, and interacting with Cubs fans on Twitter.



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MESA, Ariz. -- The theories about Ian Stewart's injury affecting his viability as the Chicago Cubs third baseman seem a bit overhyped.

Stewart, though injured most of the spring, is really the only true third baseman in camp who can be projected as the every day starter.

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MESA, Ariz. -- Despite a longer-than-expected recovery process from a quad injury, Chicago Cubs third baseman Ian Stewart isn’t concerned about making the team out of spring training.

“That’s the last thing I worry about,” Stewart said Sunday before the Cubs played the San Diego Padres. “I’m just trying to get myself healthy. I know I can help this team out. I have all the confidence in the world with (Cubs president) Theo (Epstein) and those guys that they brought me back here to be part of the team. Whether that’s opening day or not, or I need a little extra time to get ready for the season, so be it. I’m really not losing sleep over that fact.”

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MESA, Ariz. – Chicago Cubs third baseman Ian Stewart believes he’s just days away from returning to the lineup after sitting out with a left quad injury since the middle of last month.

“Today is the best I’ve felt in a while,” Stewart said Friday afternoon. “Very encouraging today. In most of the exercises I’ve done I haven’t felt that tightness or soreness at all. Definitely a good sign. Hopefully just a few more days.”

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