Wondering how the sequestration crisis will impact the Blackhawks in their streak-buster-alert game against Detroit Sunday, as I wait for the Cubs to show at Scottsdale Stadium for this afternoon's game against the world champs.

Three predictions for the season based on first three weeks of camp:

1. The sizeable contingent of Japanese media planning to float between Milwaukee (Norichika Aoki) and Chicago (Kyuji Fujikawa) this season to cover their guys from back home will set up long-term camp at Wrigley when Carlos Marmol blows his first save.

Which could happen by tax day, given the fraught-with-danger series against Milwaukee and San Francisco that opens the home schedule.

Fujikawa, the former Japanese All-Star closer on a two-year contract with the Cubs, has impressed the field staff so far in camp.

Marmol's getting along with the funky, bleach-blond setup man and shrugs off the issue. "They told me I'm the closer,'' he said.

On Fujikawa, he says: "He's a great pitcher. I think we're going to have a good bullpen. He's kind of a cool guy, plays around a lot. Good guy so far."

2. Speaking of good guys, Ian Stewart won't pull off the two-week rampage of OPS hitting and everyday grind to win a roster spot in the maybe two-week window he'll have once he's back from his quad strain.

Not exactly rooting for the Cubs to open the season with Luis Valbuena as the starting third baseman, but it's hard not to see it that way now.

Stewart doesn't seem worried about that possibility. "I figure when I get back, I'll just be playing a lot, but I think that was the plan anyway," he said. "I feel like there is definitely [time]."

Stewart, who has big power when he connects and a good glove at third, has a little compensating to do this spring to overcome the perception that he was too willing to spend the rest of the season at home once he got permission to leave the team to be with his pregnant wife following his midseason wrist injury.

If he doesn't do it in his narrow window of opportunity late this spring, the Cubs have the option of saving $1.5 million of his $2 million contract by releasing him before the opener.

And don't discount the potential incentive for sending a message to the rest of a mostly young team about expectations and accountability in their efforts to supposedly change the "culture" of the team.

3. Catcher Steve Clevenger, Dale Sveum's new super utility player in the making, will drop one of the first three fly balls or popups hit his direction once the season opens.

"I mean, how hard is it to catch a fly ball?" Clevenger said Friday, sealing his fate.

A few items from Cubs camp as I wonder if the former pope, now that he'd retired, might show at Wrigley to see the anointed one from Notre Dame pitch for the Cubs:

SOLER POWER: Big time outfield prospect Jorge Soler's cannon throw from right field to nail Oakland's Josh Reddick trying to go first-to-third Thursday was still part of the morning buzz at Cubs camp Friday.

``Very impressive throw. Accurate, too,'' manager Dale Sveum said. ``All his throws ... That's obviously another added plus to a guy with the tools. A lot of times you might have the arm but it's all over the place. But he's got a pretty good feel of accuracy, throwing one-hoppers and that. ... Even his at-bats. I know he's been striking out a little bit but at least he's seeing pitches. It's not a premeditated-type swing."

Sveum, who didn't see much of Soler beyond video until the 20-year-old got to spring training, already seems to have the powerful, 6-foot-4 projected slugger on his radar.

Until 34 games at the low- and mid-Class A levels last year, Soler hadn't played for a team in about two years, as he waited for residency status after defecting from Cuba.

The lack of pro experience and roughness around the edges is obvious, with six strikeouts in 10 official spring at-bats, to go with a single and a double. But so is the ability the Cubs hope to unlock as quickly as possible - with a towering home run in his first competitive at-bat of the spring, in last week's intrasquad game, and then Thursday's throw.

Soler is likely to start the season at advanced-A Daytona. Depending how well he does in the first half, he could have the opportunity to finish at AA, which for many players is just a phone call away from the majors.

Spring days like Thursday make you wonder how fast he could get to Wrigley.

STARLIN GAZING: All-Star shortstop Starlin Castro is likely to remain sidelined with that tight hamstring at least through the weekend, manager Dale Sveum said Friday morning.

"We'll probably look more towards Monday than this weekend," the manager said. "We've got a lot of games left. We don't have to do anything [too quickly] that way."

Castro left Wednesday's game when his left hamstring tightened while running out a grounder.

The two-time All-Star said Thursday afternoon he felt much better, said he'd only miss a couple of days, and even jogged slightly as he headed to the field for his match in the camp bunting tournament.

ALL ABOARD! The D-Train is back up and running, according to the Cubs.

Dontrelle Willis, who's in the Cubs' minor-league camp, left after just seven pitches in his only Cactus League appearance Monday, because of shoulder tightness.

But the Cubs said Friday morning the former 22-game winner is pain-free and throwing again.

No word yet on whether/when he'll get invited again as an extra backup pitcher for one of the big-league spring games.

A few early notes from camp as Cubs wait for A's to arrive for 2:05 game at HoHo:

Third baseman Ian Stewart (quad strain) is still "at least a week away" from taking swings and could be crunched to find enough time to make the roster, manager Dale Sveum said Thursday morning.

"If he gets on the field too late in spring training, it's going to be very difficult to get enough at-bats to evaluate, when everybody else is getting their at-bats and producing or whatever it might be,'' Sveum said. "It's going to be very difficult to make that decision."

Stewart faces an all-or-nothing proposition when it comes to earning a spot; the Cubs owe him only $500,000 of his $2 million contract if they release him before the season starts.

NO MRI FOR CASTRO -- Sveum said shortstop Starlin Castro is expected to miss two or three days before returning to action after suffering "tightness" in his left hamstring Wednesday. The injury is minor enough that no medical tests were scheduled.

JAVY TIME? Top prospect Javy Baez could be the short-term beneficiary of Castro's down time. Sveum said Baez figures to start or split the games at short while Castro's out.

TODAY'S LINEUP VS. LHP BRETT ANDERSON:

CF Dave Sappelt
2B Darwin Barney
DH Scott Hairston
LF Darnell McDonald
RF Jorge Soler
C Dioner Navarro
SS Javy Baez
1B Brent Lillibridge
3B Junior Lake

MESA, Ariz. - Nate Schierholtz doesn't know when or how he'll get it, but for the second straight year a new Cub will be presented a World Series ring while wearing a uniform not usually - ever, actually - associated with such things.

``I gave them my size a month and a half ago, that's about it,'' said Schieholtz, who spent most of last season with the eventual-champion San Francisco Giants before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies at the trade deadline. ``I'm excited to get it, there's no doubt about that. I think everyone wants to see what it's going to look like. It's something that's priceless as a player.

``I'm excited, but I can wait .Whenever they decide the right time is that's fine."

For Schierholtz it's his second ring, the first coming in 2010, when he actually was part of the Giants' first title in San Francisco, even driving in an eighth-inning run with a two-out hit in a Game 1 victory over the Texas Rangers.

``It was a little different [this time] because I wasn't there the last two months and throughout the playoffs,'' said Schierholtz, whose old teammates voted him a full 2012 World Series share. ``But I've got a lot of good friends there, and I'm happy for what they did and what they were able to accomplish. They deserved it. I was just glad to be part of a lot of good years there."

Fast-forward to a Cubs team that has gone so long without a championship they didn't even have World Series rings the last time the Cubs won.

Fast-forward to a Cubs team in a major rebuilding process that Schierholtz chose over contenders such as the New York Yankees because, he said, of a greater opportunity to play.

Fast-forward to the moment - whenever it comes - that Schierholtz gets his World Series ring, whether in a public display in San Francisco in mid- to late summer or more privately in the Cubs' clubhouse this season, the way Derrek Lee and Todd Hollandsworth got theirs from the Florida Marlins in 2004.

If it has any value to the Cubs beyond Schierholtz' experience, it's another chance for some of the younger players in particular to watch - as manager Dale Sveum had them do, from the top of the dugout in St. Louis last year when transplanted first base coach Dave McKay got his ring in a ceremony in St. Louis with the Cubs there.

``It's a day you never forget when that person gives you that ring," Sveum said. "When you have people who maybe haven't had the fortune of seeing it, it just brings everything back to, `This is what it's all about.'

``It's a pretty emotional, special day for whoever's receiving it, and when you get a chance to see it, I don't think it hurts anything."

MESA, Ariz. - If Edwin Jackson ever had trouble making new friends or adjusting to new places that issue faded away a long time ago.

And long before playing for seven teams in eight years before signing that four-year deal with the Cubs over the winter.

``I'm a military brat. I'm kind of born on the fly,'' said the right-hander, who makes his first start for the Cubs Tuesday afternoon against the Colorado Rockies at HoHoKam Park.

``I've been living out of a suitcase for a long time. I never have a chance to get bored with a city, I look at it that way.''

And if his $52-million contract finally affords that chance with the Cubs, at least it's Chicago, a place he enjoyed while pitching for the White Sox in 2010-11.

``Having some stability is definitely a positive for me,'' he said, ``to get to be around a group of guys for multiple years.''

Jackson, 29, was signed to be a linchpin for the pitching staff as the team transitions toward contender status - over the next three years, according to the front office's anticipated timeline.

His long-term status assures, barring injuries, at least two starters the Cubs believe they can count on going into next year, along with Jeff Samardzija, as they watch for what might develop in the system, evaluate Scott Baker's return from Tommy John surgery and see what's available next off-season.

``He's been great,'' manager Dale Sveum said of the right-hander through three weeks of camp. ``He's got that personality and work ethic and professionalism, and teammates like him, obviously, already.

``He's one of them guys that just breeds what we're trying to do here: bring character in and great people and obviously guys that can produce as well. That's all going great, so we'll see what happens.''

GLENDALE, Ariz. - It took Dontrelle Willis more than 10 years to get back on a mound for the Cubs' organization - and just seven pitches to head back off with an injury.

The former All-Star of Florida Marlins "D-Train" fame suffered shoulder tightness during the eighth inning of Monday's spring training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers and left the mound with the trainer.

``It's a minor setback. I don't think it's going to be anything serous,'' said the visibly dejected left-hander. ``But it's just frustrating because I finally get a chance, and I hit the ground running, and an injury happens. It's frustrating. But if guys can overcome ACL tears, I'll be able to overcome this and come back.''

Willis, a Rookie of the Year in 2003 a year after the Cubs traded him as a minor-leaguer to the Marlins, re-signed with the Cubs as a minor-league free agent assigned to minor-league camp as he makes another comeback after a long, mysterious decline since his 22-win All-Star season in 2005.

He had been invited to join the team as an extra bullpen pitcher each of the first three Cactus League, and made his first appearance Monday after starter Carlos Villanueva's five-batter start (pitch limit) created a domino effect that used up most of the pitchers.

Willis, 31, said he felt the shoulder tighten on the second pitch to Nick Evans. He then threw five straight balls and left.

Willis represented a no-risk flyer when they signed him and is not considered a part of any of their pitching plans, short of a sudden rebirth of power and command.

Manager Dale Sveum didn't even seem to know much about him before the game, declining to comment on his ability or comeback chances.

``He's in minor league camp,'' Sveum said. ``That's all there is to it.''

Said Willis: ``I'm just frustrated today because I really wanted to play and get in there and mix it up,'' said. ``It's early so hopefully I get enough time to get back.''

MESA, Ariz. -- Day One of the Rule 5-guy watch went well enough that Cubs manager Dale Sveum sounded Sunday like right-hander Hector Rondon could be of actual use to the Cubs during the season, without needing an extended DL stint or disappearing act in the shadows of the Cubs' bullpen to keep a longer-term place in the organization.

Rule 5 picks must remain on a team's 25-man big-league roster all season or be offered back to the original organization for half the drafting price.

Rondon, the Venezuela native once considered a top starting pitching prospect, missed much of the last two seasons because of Tommy John surgery and a subsequent setback with the elbow.

He has looked healthy in camp so far after a high-velocity winter-ball stint, and Sveum liked what he saw in Rondon's spring debut Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels, giving up only a two-out hit in a four-batter, scoreless inning of work.

``It was nice to see Rondon in action for the first time,'' said Sveum, who lauded his ability to fight back after falling behind in counts during Saturday's first glimpse. ``He threw about three or four cutters that were real quality. That's a pitch he's going to have to learn to use .And he got back in the count one time with a slider after throwing a scud slider. It was impressive. He showed a lot of poise out there.''

Rondon is far more mature and experience than last year's Rule 5 pick, Class A right-hander Lendy Castillo, who spent a large chunk of the season on the DL with a non-arm-related muscle pull. His only claim to fame last year was setting off a bench-clearing melee in Washington by hitting Nationals kid-star Bryce Harper with a pitch - a series of events that was laughable to guys in the Cubs' clubhouse who knew Castillo didn't have the command to pitch with the intent the Nationals assumed.

If Rondon has shown anything so far, it's that he's no Lendy Castillo.

And the "kid" who turns 26 on Tuesday might even have an edge in the battle for one of the last bullpen spots for more reasons than his Rule 5 status.

``He was way ahead [of Castillo] a long time ago, before the injuries he had,'' Sveum said. ``He's faced Triple-A hitters, he's been in big-league camp before. He's kind of a veteran-type minor-league player that has a good arm that we'd take a shot at.''

TEMPE, Ariz. - Cubs manager Dale Sveum said he anticipates right-hander Scott Baker getting his first spring start sometime in the middle of March, then opening the season on the disabled list and - barring setback - making his Cubs debut sometime in mid-April.

``He's just right on schedule,'' Sveum said after Baker impressed his pitching coach and himself in a 45-pitch bullpen session Satuday. ``Knock on wood, there hasn't been any setbacks, and he's feeling great. The effort level obviously picked up [Saturday]. I'm just looking forward to getting him against live hitters.''

Baker, who appears healthy after missing all of last season because of Tommy John surgery, is scheduled to throw another bullpen session Tuesday.

``It's another step in the right direction,'' said Baker, who added he isn't testing his strength as much as regaining form right now. ``For me, [the strength level] is more mechanical than physical. I'm throwing with as much intensity as my mechanics allow right now. You hear a million times, stay within yourself. That's never more true than now.''

If Matt Garza (lat strain) is ready to start the season on time, it leaves Travis Wood and Carlos Villanueva competing for Baker's spot in the opening rotation. Jeff Samardzija, Edwin Jackson and Scott Feldman are in, barring injury.

TEMPE, Ariz. - The diagnosis doesn't help his chances, but Ian Stewart says he's confident that neither his injured left quad nor his non-guaranteed contract status will prevent him from being the Cubs' third baseman on Opening Day.

Some of the related facts suggest a little more urgency and uncertainty surrounding the issue than Stewart acknowledges.

MRI results revealed a "mild to moderate" strain that manager Dale Sveum said Saturday will keep Stewart out of games for at least three weeks, "which puts you at three weeks before Opening Day, so if he's capable and the leg's fine, it'll be a cram session, that's for sure.''

Stewart, who downplayed the lost time as "a little roadblock," has a standard one-year contract that top team officials went out of their way to describe as "non-guaranteed" when they inked the $2 million.

All standard one-year contracts come with the stipulation that clubs must pay only 1/6 the contract value in termination pay if such players are cut in mid-March (specifically March 16 this year) or ¼ termination pay if cut between that date and the opener.

``To be honest, that's not even a focus of mine,'' he said. ``Obviously, there's a business side of the game, but I came back here to be a part of the major league team, so I'm not even thinking about that right now.''

It might not take long to cross his mind of Luis Valbuena (home runs each of the past two games) keeps hitting while Stewart is out. Sveum loves Valbuena and said Friday Valbuena could win that job even if Stewart weren't hurt.

A few days earlier, Sveum said proclaimed third base was Stewart's ``job to win, not his job to lose.''

But Stewart doesn't seem to think that the potential for missing up to two weeks of games will hurt his chances to make the team.

``I would hope not,'' he said. ``I feel like I was brought back to be a part of the team and help this team, and I feel like I can do that. This is unfortunate, but I think if this was towards the end of camp or maybe in the middle it'd be a different story.''

Sveum plans to load Stewart up on at-bats over the final two weeks of March, assuming his legs, surgically repaired wrist and will can handle them.

Meanwhile, Valbuena said, "I'd be so happy to win that job," and when asked about Sveum's confidence in him, added:

``Dale feels like that because he knows I play 100 percent - more than 100 percent - every time he gives me an opportunity.''

MESA, Ariz. -- Another spring training, another damn injury for Ian Stewart.

``I'm just trying to stay positive,'' said the Cub third baseman, who after two years of issues with his left wrist finally seemed to prove it was fixed Thursday - just in time to strain his left quadriceps running the bases in an intrasquad game.

``I've had enough stress and stuff to worry about since [going on the DL in] June. I'm just going to roll with it and hopefully get this MRI and find out it's a mild strain or something, and come back soon.''

Stewart, the guy the Cubs want to see earn the third base job after signing him back on a one-year, $2 million deal, headed out for the precautionary MRI Friday morning, less than 24 hours after feeling the quad give as he rounded first on a double in his first game action since wrist surgery in July.

``I pulled up noticeably and even [first base coach] Dave [McKay] asked me, `A little more effort?' '' Stewart said. ``I explained to him what happened, and he was like, `OK.' Trust me, I would have run hard my first time on a baseball field in eight months.''

That's as much of the irritation as the actual soreness in the leg.

``It felt so good and so bad at the same time,'' he said. ``I'm just glad it had nothing to do with the wrist and all the work I put in there, that that's OK. It is frustrating because we worked really hard in the off-season. But I don't think it's going to be anything too serious.

``We're going to take it easy for a couple days and get some treatment and go from there.''

As for the wrist, "it felt great," said Stewart, who batted just once in his first competitive at-bat since June 12.

``It's not nearly as good as your first hit in the big leagues, but you realize how much you can lose by being out there that long for an injury and stuff. I felt like it was my first year back in camp and playing in a big-league game again.

``Even though it was just spring training in an intrasquad, it was very important for me to come out and do that.''

VITTERS UPDATE: Infield/outfield prospect Josh Vitters, who was scratched from Friday's intrasquad game, also because of a quad strain, said he wasn't sure if an MRI was in his future.

His status is to be evaluated daily.

``It's just an annoying kind of thing,'' he said. ``It's still early. That's part of the reason everyone wants to be cautious. But I think I'll be fine with it.''

MESA, Ariz. -- Cubs right-hander Matt Garza says he's in good spirits, and more important to him, he's confident he can be fully recovered in time to open the season on time.

``I'm not worried about spring starts, I'm more concerned about being ready for opening week, Opening Day,'' said Garza, who suffered a "mild strain" in his left lat while throwing batting practice to teammates Sunday.

``Right now if I stay on my pace and stay patient and just let it heal, I'll be fine. I'll be ready.''

Garza isn't expected to start throwing in practice again until next week as he gets treatment and rests the injury. That assures he'll miss at least one scheduled spring start.

But he's already feeling much better, and unintentionally proved it by throwing a towel across the clubhouse into a bin left-handed.

And the Cactus League delay shouldn't prevent him from being ready on time to still be in the Opening Day mix, he said, and it might even be a positive considering he was already ahead of schedule with his throwing program after a winter of recuperation and strength-building following last year's elbow injury.

``Obviously, it didn't feel like that at the time, but maybe that's what it was,'' he said. ``Maybe I came out too strong, too fast and this is just kind of a way to slow down. So it is what it is, and now just kind of get back to work.''

The fact spring training is about a week longer than usual this year also plays into his favor.

``That's even better,'' he said. ``Like Doc [Stephen] Adams says, time doesn't hurt anybody, so relax and enjoy it a little bit because it'll probably be your last time off.''

MESA, Ariz. - Neither will make the Opening Day roster, but let the hype begin for two of the Cubs' most anticipated prospects as spring games unofficially begin Thursday with an intrasquad game.

Shortstop Javy Baez and outfielder Jorge Soler - ranked 16th and 34th, respectively on Baseball America's top-100 prospects list - might be in just the right place at the right time for a pair of players looking for playing time in their first big-league spring trainings.

Manager Dale Sveum said he's "very excited" to finally get a look at the touted twosome and because of a longer-than-usual schedule of exhibition games expects to get an especially long look for guys who won't compete for big-league jobs.

``We have so many split-squad games, and they're going to get quite a few games in before anything happens getting-sent-down-wise,'' There's a lot of at-bats out there.''

Unofficially, those start today when Soler and Baez bat fifth and sixth, respectively for the "Blue" team in the first of two intrasquad games leading up to Saturday's Cactus League opener.

``Obviously, those are the guys you talk about that are on your radar in the minor-league systems that have all those God-given tools,'' Sveum said, ``the speed, the arm, the power, hopefully the hitting ability - meaning OPS and those things.

``It's a pretty special talent and bat speed that those guys have that you want to see in person at game speed.''