MILWAUKEE -- Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo remained sidelined on Saturday because of stiffness in his lower back and was questionable for Sunday's series finale against the Brewers.
"He's doing better," manager Joe Maddon said Saturday of Rizzo, who was scratched from Friday's lineup. "Maybe [Sunday] but I'm not 100 percent sure. I don't want to rush it."
Rizzo has had back problems in the past, and usually returns to the lineup after getting treatment for two days. Victor Caratini started at first base for the second straight day on Saturday, but Benjamin Zobrist was taking grounders during batting practice at first. Zobrist did more work there this spring.
Rizzo has three hits in 28 at-bats so far, and is three hits shy of 900 in his Major League career.
• Thomas La Stella, who is the Cubs' top batter off the bench, is a "different cat," Maddon said.
"He has such an old-school swing," Maddon said of the left-handed-hitting La Stella, who has a career .264 batting average as a pinch-hitter. "He's tension-free, flat through the zone. he doesn't try to lift anything. He'll work a count. He's unique in a lot of ways.
"He's not into the launch angles, not trying to power the ball, he's into just using the whole field. He's got a great base. He doesn't overthink it. He doesn't swing too often, he doesn't take extra [batting practice]. He's got a lot of old-school tenets."
La Stella started at second base on Saturday, while Javier Baez moved to shortstop and Addison Russell got the day off. La Stella also may sub at third base when Maddon wants to give Kristopher Bryant a breather.
"[La Stella] is a different cat and a very valuable commodity in today's game and in the National League especially because of his pinch-hitting abilities," Maddon said. "I would believe he'll remain this way for several years to come and it won't go away."