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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 -- Here's a quick look at the Chicago Cubs' 4-2 loss to the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night at Wrigley Field:

How it happened: A ninth-inning rally fell short as Darwin Barney lined out off of closer Joe Nathan with the bases loaded. Center fielder Craig Gentry made a diving catch on the play. Travis Wood and Derek Holland were locked in a pitchers' duel on another cold night, but reliever Shawn Camp turned a 1-0 Cubs deficit into a 4-0 Texas lead when he threw wild to first on a pick-off move in the eighth inning -- scoring a runner from third -- and then gave up a two-run home run to Adrian Beltre. The Cubs managed two hits against Holland with Nate Schierholtz driving in the Cubs' two runs in the ninth with a bases-loaded single, but that's as close as they got.

What it means: Once again the Cubs wasted another solid effort by a starting pitcher. Their offense did little and their bullpen failed to keep the game close. The Cubs have scored three runs in 36 innings this season when a left-hander has opposed them. Dave Sappelt is 1-for-19 to begin the season having started all four games against left-handers. Scott Hairston is 1-for-14 in four starts as well. Though manager Dale Sveum has been adamant about starting those players against lefties he may have to rethink that strategy.

Barney's return: Barney returned from an injury after missing the first 12 games of the season. He had a chance to be the hero but went 0-for-4.

What's next: The series continues on Wednesday as Carlos Villanueva takes the mound for the 4-9 Cubs.

Here’s a quick look at the Chicago Cubs' 3-2 defeat by the San Francisco Giants on Saturday:

How it happened: Wrigley Field produced another pitching duel, this time between Jeff Samardzija and Madison Bumgarner, as neither team scored until the fifth inning. The Giants tallied once each in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings while the Cubs finally got on the board on a pinch-hit two-run home run by Dioner Navarro in the bottom of the seventh.

Navarro’s streak: The Cubs' backup catcher has pinch hit home runs on consecutive days from either side of the plate, a feat that, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, hasn't been accomplished since Todd Benzinger did it for the Dodgers in 1992. On Friday, he hit a game-tying blast in the ninth inning from the left side and pulled the Cubs within one Saturday with a long ball from the right side. They're the first two pinch-hit home runs of his career.

What it means: The Cubs battled to the end, but the lack of offense against lefties this season has been striking. In three games, Cubs starters have managed one run combined against left-handers. Manager Dale Sveum says he is sticking with righties Dave Sappelt and Scott Hairston when a lefty is on the mound, which means sitting David DeJesus and .355 hitter Nate Schierholtz. DeJesus had three hits Friday, including a home run, but was on the bench Saturday.

Defensively, the Cubs continue to be sloppy. They left several double plays on the field, and right fielder Hairston made an errant throw as Bumgarner crossed the plate with the eventual winning run in the seventh.

What’s next: The 4-7 Cubs will try to salvage a split of the series when Edwin Jackson takes the mound Sunday.

The Chicago Cubs called off their series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday long before first pitch. A combination of freezing temperatures with a forecast of storms made it an easy call.

"Last night (Tuesday) was about as tough as it was going to get, tonight probably would have been where you couldn't even function out there," manager Dale Sveum said after the game was postponed.

"I'm not sure if it's football weather."

Sveum won't alter his rotation so Scott Feldman, Carlos Villaneuva, Jeff Samardzija and Edwin Jackson will pitch against the world champion San Francisco Giants beginning Thursday if the weather holds up. The forecast for the next couple of days isn't much better.

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PITTSBURGH -- Chicago Cubs pitcher Travis Wood nearly matched teammate Jeff Samardzija's Opening Day performance in a Cubs 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday.

Wood went six innings, giving up just one hit and two walks -- and no runs.

"I had good fastball command," Wood said after the game. "I was able to locate it both sides and keep them off balance."

Wood is an ‘X' factor in the Cubs rotation, meaning no one really knows what to expect after an up-and-down 2012 (6-13, 4.27 ERA). His strong finish last year gave hope to a strong start. After throwing just 85 pitches in six innings on Thursday manager Dale Sveum had a decision to make -- leave him in for another inning or pull him? Teammate Jeff Samardzija threw 110 over eight innings on Opening Day.

"I thought about it," Sveum said. "(But) he did his job. He was probably going to end up at 100 if I let him go back out. The bullpen was all set up."

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The Chicago Cubs outfield is where things could come up short for the team this season. There is some hope out there but even if Alfonso Soriano, David DeJesus and Nate Schierholtz reasonably max out, they don't compare to other outfields around the league. Only Soriano provides any power.

The good news is all three had relatively good springs at the plate and in the field. DeJesus, especially, was locked in from Day 1 until the very end. And his switch to center was a smooth transition. Schierholtz has deceptive gap power which will be needed at Wrigley Field. And Soriano hasn't lost bat speed nor strength being a year older.

Backups and/or platoon players Scott Hairston and Dave Sappelt do provide some pop from the right side but mostly if a left-hander is pitching.

Soriano's defense last season gives hope that the starting trio can at least hold its own if not overwhelm the opposition tracking down balls. Schierholtz will need to learn how to play right in Wrigley, it's the trickiest of the three positions. And DeJesus will need to cover for Soriano who's knees can always slow him down.

3 KEYS TO SUCCESS

• Schierholtz is a key because of where he bats in the lineup. He'll occupy the No. 5 hole most of the time which means hitting behind the likes of Starlin Castro, Anthony Rizzo and Soriano. That means plenty of RBI opportunities and for a guy who has never been a full-time starter it's a huge spot for him.

• DeJesus may not have had a bad at-bat all spring. He was on everything. But that's the spring, and the regular season is another story. If his on-base percentage can creep closer to .360 -- last year it was .350 -- then he'll be extremely valuable hitting in front of the big three. Between leading off and now playing center field DeJesus is important, at least until prospect Brett Jackson takes over.

• Soriano's health is a key since his bat will be so important in the middle of the lineup. If he can repeat his 2012 of 32 home runs and 108 RBIs as well as decent outfield play, then the Cubs might actually be getting value near the end of his contract. Even if he dips some from those numbers he'll still be a key to the offense.

MESA, Ariz. -- Here’s a quick look at the Chicago Cubs' 9-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians on Saturday:

The good: Chris Rusin had a solid start for Chicago. He gave up three hits in three innings, picked off a runner and induced a double-play ball to prevent any trouble from starting. David DeJesus had three good at-bats -- two against left-handed pitching -- which produced two doubles. Javier Baez homered and added another hit, raising his spring average to .360.

The bad: As soon as Rusin departed, the Cubs' pitching took a nose dive. Brooks Raley was hit hard, as was Alberto Cabrera. Those two combined to give up seven runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Logan Watkins and the formerly hot Nate Schierholtz both struck out twice.

What we learned: Baez came up with a man on second and no one out in the first inning and wasn’t thinking about just getting him over. He took two big hacks; the second one sent the ball over the left-center-field wall. His bat speed continues to impress, though manager Dale Sveum said before the game he’s still ticketed for minor league camp in about a week. ... With ailing pitchers, there’s room -- at least to start the season -- in the bullpen, so if Rusin is thinking about grabbing a spot there, he didn’t do anything to harm those chances.

Bottom line: The Cubs fell to 5-10 in Cactus League play and haven’t won a game since a split-squad affair Sunday.

Jesse Rogers covers the Cubs for ESPN 1000 and ESPNChicago.com

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- One of the Chicago Cubs' walking wounded who is actually on pace for a timely return is pitcher Scott Baker.

Baker, coming off Tommy John surgery which caused him to miss all of last season, threw a simulated game on Thursday, and how he felt the day after was a “big issue” according to manager Dale Sveum.

“It was kind of a wait-and-see day, how I felt afterwards,” Baker said Friday before the Cubs played the Cincinnati Reds. “I had a pretty good indication yesterday coming off the mound I would be fine, which is the case today. I think I’m ready to move forward to the next step which is a minor league game.”

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MESA, Ariz. -- Chicago Cubs outfielder Nate Schierholtz did a double take when he looked at the lineups for spring games on Monday and Tuesday.

Schierholtz was batting third each day, but on Tuesday he was scheduled to play first base against the Colorado Rockies, a position he's never played. He decided to ask manager Dale Sveum about it.

"I just asked, 'Was that a typo, out of curiosity?' Otherwise I would have had to take ground balls today," Schierholtz said Monday afternoon.

Turns out it was a typo.

"It was supposed to be Anthony Rizzo and somehow it was a typo," Sveum said.

Schierholtz said he wasn't going to "say no" if he was asked to play there. In fact he came prepared.

"I have one (first baseman's glove) in my closet in my condo here," he said. "You never know when it's going to come in use, but I've never really played first base. Ever."

Jesse Rogers previews the Cubs by position in the days leading up to pitchers and catchers reporting for spring training on Sunday.


The Chicago Cubs outfield of 2013 isn’t exactly the sexiest part of the team. There are holdovers and newcomers, but none are considered the next best thing on the horizon. Here’s a look at the outfield:

David DeJesus, CF: Ticketed for center field, DeJesus is certainly reliable, but not spectacular. He’s still considered a transition player for the Cubs while Brett Jackson is figuring things out in the minors. The best thing about DeJesus at the plate is his ability to get on base despite not being much of a power threat. His 61 walks last season helped contribute to his 76 runs scored, second only to Starlin Castro on the team. It’s not a Hall of Fame stat, but any player with less than 10 home runs (he had nine) and more than 500 at-bats needs to be contributing in some way. A solid center field and a repeat of his .350 on-base percentage is how DeJesus can accomplish that.

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CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs announced the signing of free-agent outfielder Nate Schierholtz to a one-year deal on Friday.

The announcement comes after an agreement was reached at the winter meetings in Nashville earlier this month.

Schierholtz, 28, hit .257 with eight doubles, five triples and six home runs in 114 games between the San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies last season. He's expected to compete for playing time in right field.

Terms of the deal were not released, but a source close to the situation said Schierholtz will be paid $2.25 million with a chance to make more in performance incentives.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Chicago Cubs leave baseball's winter meetings with a slight sense of accomplishment after adding some depth to their 2013 team.

The Cubs will announce at a Friday news conference that they have come to terms with Japanese relief pitcher Kyuji Fujikawa on a two-year contract. As soon as Nate Schierholtz passes a physical he will be announced as the team's right fielder, or at least as part of a platoon.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Chicago Cubs made one minor move (signing outfielder Nate Schierholtz) -- which they haven't even made official yet -- at the winter meetings this week.

But they had already signed pitchers Scott Feldman and Scott Baker and agreed to terms with Japanese reliever Kyuji Fujikawa before the meetings began, so it doesn't really matter when they make their moves, only what those moves are.

And judging by the players they added, the Cubs are going to lose a lot of games again. A lot. But that should come as no surprise. They've made their intentions clear enough: Strip the team all the way down, stockpile talent throughout the organization, develop it and then use it to win and as assets to acquire specific needs when they turn the corner.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Chicago Cubs and free agent outfielder Nate Schierholtz have agreed to a one-year, major league deal worth a guaranteed $2.25 million, a source said Wednesday.

Schierholtz can earn an additional $500,000 in performance bonuses, the source said.

Schierholtz, 28, is a .270 career hitter with a .727 OPS over six seasons with San Francisco and Philadelphia. He became a free agent last week when the Phillies declined to offer him a contract at the non-tender deadline.

Tampa Bay, Boston, Baltimore and the New York Yankees and Mets were among the other teams that had expressed interest in Schierholtz. He is expected to be the Cubs' primary right fielder in 2013.

At 28 years old and after spending much of the previous five seasons in Triple-A, Bryan LaHair was a purportedly “known” quantity -- Quadruple-A bat, perhaps a fill-in first baseman. In his one brief shot at The Show in Seattle in 2008, he split time at first base with utilityman Miguel Cairo and Jose Lopez. He didn't shine, and it was back to Tacoma the next year. In short, he seemed a man doomed to a dim star on an obscure walk of fame to be named later, perhaps in Tacoma, maybe in Iowa.

He changed that in his sixth campaign in the Pacific Coast League, changing the minds of scouts and analysts alike with 28 homers and a 1.070 OPS. And this year, taken seriously for the first time, he's a 29-year-old getting his first real shot at everyday play in the major leagues ... and blowing the league away. He's third in the National League in slugging, fourth in OBP, and fourth in OPS. And all it took to bring him to Wrigleyville was a minor-league contract, after the Mariners let him slip away as a minor league free agent.

By simultaneously shredding expectations and opposing pitchers, LaHair is providing a fine example that players' career paths aren't simply a matter of forecasting off past performance. That works on the macro level, for most players. But whether as a matter of changing their game or finally getting opportunities they'd long deserved, a few past-prime players are making the most of their opportunities this season.

You can't quite come up with a full lineup's worth of these guys, but beyond LaHair, here's my off-the-cuff list of this season's other “surprise stars,” some of whom will belong in Kansas City as full-fledged All-Stars in a month's time.

C A.J. Ellis, Dodgers: Say what you will about catching always being in short supply -- and it isn't -- Ellis had to wait until this year to get a clean shot at a catching job. Now 31, he's pretty much the perfect example of an organizational soldier: He spent his first two full seasons after getting picked in the 18th round out of Austin Peay as a backup at High-A, caddying for Russell Martin and then Edwin Bellorin (once upon a time a well-regarded Venezuelan prospect).

Ellis finally became a regular in Double-A in 2006. From the start, he showed tremendous ability to get on base, but the Dodgers kept him at the same slow pace, as he spent two years in the Southern League and two years in the PCL before graduating to two years as a big-league backup. That sort of long-form apprenticeship that seemed certain to lock him into little more than membership in the International Brotherhood of Backup Backstops.

Perhaps only taken seriously as a starter as a matter of grudging last resort this past winter, when the market offered slim pickings as far as catching help, Ellis is second only to Yadier Molina among NL catchers in his production at the plate while throwing out 41 percent of opponents' steal attempts. Ellis might be this group's best bet beyond LaHair to be headed to Kansas City for the All-Star Game.

SS Mike Aviles, Red Sox: It has been a bumpy road for Aviles since his old-rookie debut as a 27-year-old with the Royals in 2008. In K.C., he had to contend with injuries and the idea that he wasn't really a shortstop. This year, shortstops are putting up the collectively lowest OPS (.678) or OPS+ (88), so Aviles' .711 OPS/90 OPS+ clip is just a wee bit above average, not shabby considering he's also doing fine at short according to advanced fielding metrics. Beyond buying time for Jose Iglesias, this has proven a relatively high-yield, low-expense gamble for the Sox: League-average shortstops usually cost millions on the market, but Boston got him for an organizational arm (Kendal Volz) and Yamaico Navarro, a utility player so interesting that K.C. flipped him to the Pirates, who have already ditched him in Indianapolis.

CF Alejandro De Aza, White Sox: If LaHair is the slugging surprise of the season, De Aza is the out-of-nowhere leadoff solution most teams need. Back in 2007, he got an opportunity with the Marlins, leading off on Opening Day, but injuries to first one ankle and then the other derailed that season and the next. In 2009, he gave the first indication that he wasn't just going to be a speed guy, slugging .506 for New Orleans; the Marlins were so impressed they let him slip away on a waiver claim by the White Sox. Finally getting a shot at everyday play as a 28-year-old in the one-hole, he's hitting .299/.381/.425 and he's holding his own in center. Juan Pierre never looked this good, but a crowd of quality center fielders in the American League will keep De Aza from All-Star status.

OF Gregor Blanco, Giants: Melky Cabrera isn't the only Giants outfielder having a season well beyond anything he's done before. A Braves prospect they lost interest in, he was dealt to the Royals, who dealt him to D.C. before the Nationals ditched him. All he's ever done is get on base; he just needed an opportunity. He got one when general manager Brian Sabean fished him off the discard pile this past winter. Pushing his way past Nate Schierholtz, Blanco has hit his way into everyday play in right field and the leadoff job with a .387 OBP as a 28-year-old journeyman. Blanco may rival Sabean's “discovery” of Andres Torres in 2009 before all's said and done.

RF Justin Maxwell, Astros: Nobody has doubted Maxwell's power or talent, but his ability to stay healthy has been an annual concern. The Nats decided they had better uses for his spot on the 40-man and traded him to the Yankees, but he spent more time on the disabled list in 2011 with a bum shoulder than he did in pinstripes. The talent-hungry Astros snagged the 28-year-old off waivers this spring, and he's been a free-talent find as a fourth outfielder, providing power against lefties and strong-armed defense.

SP Jerome Williams, Angels: Back in the day, Williams was a top prospect in the Giants organization, ranking in Baseball America's top 20 for all baseball. That all seemed merited after a fine 2003 rookie season in which he drew an NL Division Series start for them against the Marlins. It was almost unrelentingly downhill from there; he needed elbow surgery in 2004, got dealt to the Cubs in 2005, and then bouncing through the Nationals, Twins, A's (twice) and Dodgers organizations, as well as a stint in the independent leagues. After making a nice impression on the Angels down the stretch last season, the 30-year-old Williams is getting regular rotation work in the majors for the first time in seven years as their fifth starter. More of a finesse righty these days, he's been an exceptional salvage-project success, putting up eight quality starts in 10 turns, far better work than most teams reasonably expect from a No. 5.

Quite simply, what these guys reflect is that not all replacements are “replacement level.” Just when you think you know what a player is capable of, a happy few beyond their expected peak age of 27 have demonstrated the delightful capacity to surprise and exceed the modest expectations even their fans harbored for them. I don't know about you, but I like these kinds of surprises -- here's hoping we see more of the same from all of them.