All of the Chicago Cubs’ expected starting pitchers, and those competing to be in the starting rotation, will get a shot in the first week of Cactus League games.
The Cubs have their Cactus League rotation set for the first five games. Randy Wells will get things started Thursday vs. the A’s, with Carlos Zambrano scheduled for Friday vs. the Diamondbacks. Carlos Silva will go Saturday vs. White Sox, and Jeff Samardzija and Tom Gorzelanny will both start Sunday in split squad games. Ryan Dempster goes Monday at Oakland. Sunday is the first of five scheduled split-squad games. Muskat Ramblings.
Mike Parisi and Sean Marshall, who are also gunning for a starting spot, will follow Wells in Thursday’s game. Keep an eye on who keeps starting as the Spring Training schedule wears on – most teams don’t keep their offensive starters in the game much beyond the first half, so getting pitching starts, as opposed to relief appearances, is the best way to test a guy’s starting mettle.