Arrieta hopes Monday is final rehab tuneup

CHICAGO -- Jake Arrieta, slowed this spring by tightness in his right shoulder, will make another rehab start on Monday for Class A Daytona, and he hopes that is his last tuneup before he's ready to rejoin the Cubs.

Arrieta has made three rehab starts with Double-A Tennessee, but the Cubs are having him start for Daytona in hopes of finding some warmer weather.

In his last outing, Arrieta went 5 2/3 innings, and said he'd like to throw 100 pitches on Monday.

"I want to get out there and get up to 100 pitches and kind of fine tune and refine some things, and hopefully, that'll be the last stop," Arrieta said.

In his last outing, the Double-A Jackson team was swinging at just about everything Arrieta threw. He said he wants to work on throwing his cutter and changeup when he's behind in the count, something that will be necessary in the big leagues.

"There are some things I need to do better," Arrieta said. "I'm one step away from being really locked in, and it feels good."

What has also been encouraging is that his stamina and velocity are strong, with his fastball in the low- to mid-90s.

"I'm right where I need to be," he said.