Now that Jim Edmonds officially is a member of the Cubs, manager Lou Piniella will have to divide playing time in center field between Edmonds and Reed Johnson.
Edmonds is a left-handed batter, and Johnson hits right-handed. With the Pirates throwing three left-handed starting pitchers at the Cubs this weekend, Johnson probably will get all of the starts, with Edmonds seeing time late in games, if the team needs a double switch. "Johnson deserves playing time, and he's done a nice job," Piniella said Thursday. "We're going to give both of them ample at-bats."
Edmonds made his Cubs debut Thursday in a 4-0 victory over the Padres, who released him last week. He went 1-for-4 with a strikeout, and he handled a pair of chances in center.
He batted .178 in 26 games for the Padres.
"I felt like I was starting to play a little bit better and starting to get my feet underneath me," said Edmonds, who was slowed in spring training by a calf injury.
He batted sixth in the Cubs' lineup Thursday.
CUBS 4, PADRES 0: Ryan Dempster struck out a career-best 12 and came within two outs of a complete game. He walked one and gave up six hits. During one span, he retired 15 Padres in a row. Derrek Lee hit a two-run double during a four-run fifth inning to chase San Diego starter Greg Maddux. Kerry Wood earned his eighth save in 11 chances.
