3/24 Who’s starting for Cubs?

Cubs manager Dale Sveum has said he’ll name the final rotation on Wednesday but during a radio interview before Saturday’s game, he said only one spot was open. Ryan Dempster, Matt Garza and Paul Maholm have locked up spots and Chris Volstad, who was to pitch in a Minor League game on Saturday, appears to be also be set. When asked by Chicago media to clarify his comments before Saturday’s game, Sveum said “there’s nothing etched in stone.”

“Thinking about it now, I said, obviously, if [Volstad] keeps throwing the ball the way he’s throwing the ball, it’ll be hard to keep him out of the rotation,” Sveum said. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out.”

The candidates for the final spot include Jeff Samardzija, Rodrigo Lopez, Randy Wells and Travis Wood.

– Carrie Muskat