Extra bases

• Rizzo isn't the only Cubs player who is struggling at the plate.

Starlin Castro is 4-for-17 in the last four games, and his slugging percentage in May is .318.

"There's not a lot of hard contact going on right now," Sveum said of the shortstop's at-bats. "Getting to two strikes, he's really expanding, and he's got to make some adjustments, too. The league adjusts to him because of the way he approaches hitting."

• The leash comes off Garza in his second outing since coming off the disabled list. Garza will start the series finale against the Reds on Sunday. He'll be allowed to throw up to 110 pitches, depending on the situation and whether he has any stressful innings.

• Samardzija, Wood and Feldman have all homered in May, and according to Elias, this is the first time three Cubs pitchers have done so in the same calendar month since August of 1961, when Jack Curtis, Bob Anderson and Don Cardwell all went deep.

Cubs pitchers have 15 RBIs in May. Sveum joked that Feldman could bat third if he gives Rizzo a day off. What about using one of the pitchers in the Interleague games against the White Sox as the designated hitter?

"Don't think I haven't thought of that one," Sveum said, laughing.