March 09--MESA, Ariz. -- Edwin Jackson gets the ball this afternoon against the Padres, with starter Kyle Hendricks pitching in relief.
The Cubs are still winless at 0-4-1, hitting .244 with a .293 OBP after five games, with 37 strikeouts in 164 at-bats.
Javy Baez fanned in all three at-bats on Sunday and is 0-for-8 with four strikeouts. Manager Joe Maddon blamed himself and his staff.
"He's thinking too much," he said. "He's getting a lot of information from all of us, and I think at some point, sometimes it's our fault. I just want to leave him along and let him play."
Asked if Baez already has the starting job nailed down at second, Maddon replied: "I can't tell you that specifically. He's definitely a very, very strong candidate for that position."
Baez wasn't worried about his start, and said he's not putting undue pressure on himself.
"When we're working on a lot of things and then take it into the game, we've just got to see the ball and react to it-- you don't think of any mechanics," he said. "That's what I was doing. It's a long process.... They know what I can do. I've shown everything here. I'm pretty sure everything is going to be right soon."
The Cubs led the majors in strikeouts last year, and Maddon said he's going to be patient with the players, especially in the early going.
"You've just got to be patient," he said. "These guys are young. One thing I was thinking about today is these guys have got another new manager, another guy they have to attempt to impress. Even if I tell them not to, they're still going to, so I think it's important to create the same environment, really for me to stay within the process and not get out of my lane at all, because that would really freak them out."
Jackson will face ex-Cub Andrew Cashner, whose 2.55 earned-run average in 19 starts last year was seventh lowest among National League pitchers with at least 100 innings pitched. Cashner was traded for Anthony Rizzo after the 2011 season, and has been effective when he's not injured.
The Cubs remain general healthy, though Maddon said Tsuyoshi Wada has a nagging groin injury and "will probably" be pushed back.
Here's the Cubs lineup:
Fowler CF
Denorfia RF
Rizzo 1B
Castro SS
Montero DH
Olt 3B
Ross C
Coghlan LF
Herrera 2B
