Mike Harkey`s tender right shoulder continues to improve, but the Cubs still don`t know when he`ll be able to pitch in an exhibition game.
”I would say he`s close,” manager Don Zimmer said Tuesday morning.
Word of Harkey`s improvement came as good news for the Cubs, who grow more certain every day that Rick Sutcliffe won`t be a part of the early-season rotation.
”We think Harkey`s going to be fine,” said General Manager Jim Frey.
”I`m hoping it`s kind of a repeat of what we`ve had a couple of times, where he starts off slow in the spring and them comes together.”
Harkey said Tuesday he needs at least three exhibition starts, four if possible, to make himself ready for Opening Day. The Cubs have 27 games remaining.
”I`m feeling a lot better now than I did when I got down here,” he said. ”We`ll see what happens. It`ll all work out somehow.”
Harkey`s problem is recurring tendinitis; Sutcliffe is trying to return from shoulder surgery 10 months ago.
Cubs win! Cubs win! Andre Dawson slapped a run-scoring double into the left-field corner for his first hit of the spring as the Cubs defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 6-5 at Chandler`s Compadre Stadium Tuesday. Dawson is now 2 for 10 this spring.
It was Dawson`s fourth appearance in five spring games. A year ago, his aching knees limited him to pinch-hit appearances in National League parks and to designated hitter in the others.
”It`s a great feeling to be able to be in the games,” he said.
High five for Maddux: Greg Maddux allowed Milwaukee only one earned run in five innings. He gave up two hits and two walks and struck out one.
”My control was really good,” said Maddux, who`s yielded four runs in eight innings. ”If it`s that good all the time, I think I`ll do all right.”
