2/26 Friday pitching update

Among the pitchers scheduled to throw live BP on Friday at Fitch Park are: Jeff Stevens, David Patton, Casey Coleman, Mitch Atkins, J.R. Mathes, Blake Parker, Jeff Kennard, James Russell, Thomas Diamond, and Marcus Mateo.

* Carlos Zambrano will likely be the Opening Day starter April 5 vs. Atlanta. “Good,” Zambrano said Friday. “It’s an honor and a privilege.”

* Told that pitching coach Larry Rothschild felt Jeff Samardzija looked more like a big league pitcher than a football player this spring, the former Notre Dame wide receiver laughed.

“That’s a good start, I guess,” Samardzija said. “That’s been the plan since Day One. We knew it would be somewhat of a learning curve.”

* Angel Guzman said the soreness in his shoulder wasn’t severe but they decided to shut him down as a precautionary measure.

– Carrie Muskat