Zambrano reschedules MRI, will miss next start

Sep 4, 2008 - 1:09 AM CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Chicago Cubs righthander Carlos Zambrano missed a scheduled MRI on his throwing arm Wednesday for undetermined reasons.

It has been rescheduled for Thursday and will be performed by the team's orthopedist, Stephen Gryzlo.

"The MRI that he was supposed to take, he didn't take, for whatever reason, so the examination is incomplete," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said in a report on the team's web site. "Until he gets an MRI done, we don't have anything to report."

Regardless of the results of the MRI, Zambrano will miss his scheduled start on Sunday, with what he described as a "dead arm." Zambrano left his last start Tuesday after just five innings and 85 pitches.

"Obviously, you're concerned," Piniella said. "He's a top-notch pitcher. Believe me, we sent him out there (Tuesday) thinking that he was perfectly fine to go out there. If not, we wouldn't have sent him out there."

His last start already was pushed back two days from last Sunday after Zambrano complained of arm fatigue. But even with the extra rest, he wasn't able to last long on Tuesday, allowing three runs and five hits while striking out three and walking three.

The eight-year veteran already spent some time on the disabled with a strained right shoulder earlier this season.

Sean Marshall will take Zambrano's spot on Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds. He is 3-4 this season with a 4.03 ERA and will make his sixth start.

A hard-throwing righthander and one of the premier hurlers in the National League, Zambrano is 13-5 with a 3.58 ERA this campaign.

Fellow Cubs righthander Rich Harden also will skip his next start with discomfort in his throwing arm but is not expected to miss an extended period of time.