The Cubs placed ace Carlos Zambrano on the 15-day disabled list Monday with a strained left hamstring. The move was expected. Zambrano had an MRI on Sunday night.
The club said he has a "Grade 2" strain on a scale of 1 to 3. Zambrano suffered the injury beating out a bunt for a base hit to lead off the Cubs' four-run fifth inning in Sunday's 6-4 victory over Florida. "We did the right thing," said manager Lou Piniella. "The danger with this thing is, too early (coming back), you really hurt it more, and now it's a 6-to-8 week thing, and that we can't have."
The Cubs say Zambrano's injury will take the full DL time -- and possibly up to 2 1/2 weeks -- to heal. He'll be eligible to return May 19 when the Cubs open a series in St. Louis. Piniella said Zambrano won't necessarily start that game, but that he should be able to so sometime that week.
Neither Zambrano nor the Cubs expressed any misgivings about Zambrano bunting to lead off an inning. Piniella has used Zambrano three times as a pinch hitter this year.
"If my legs feel 100 percent, I'll be the same," Zambrano said of his approach to the game. "I have to work on my game, and I have to hustle."
The Cubs will call up Randy Wells to start Friday's game at Milwaukee. That's Zambrano's slot in the rotation.
CUBS 4, GIANTS 2: Ryan Theriot hit his third homer of the season, a two-run drive to left field in the second inning, to put the Cubs ahead 3-0. RHP Ryan Dempster cruised for seven innings, giving up five hits and two runs. Kevin Gregg earned his fourth save. The Cubs have won four in a row.
