NL | Chad Gaudin knows the drill with Cubs' Lou Piniella

CHICAGO — Newest Cubs pitchers Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin were set to join their new teammates today, and for Gaudin, who will work out of the bullpen, it will be a reunion with manager Lou Piniella.

When Gaudin was with Tampa Bay in 2003-04, Piniella was managing the then-Devil Rays and obviously made a lasting impression.

"It's fun and always exciting, intense, everything you can throw in there," Gaudin said of Piniella's style. "I know one thing; he does not like you to walk guys. You definitely learn that firsthand."

Many pitchers have been the victim of Piniella's icy glare from the dugout.

"When you start walking people, you don't even have to look," Gaudin said. "At one point, I looked over there [in the dugout] a couple of years ago and saw that face and said, 'Oh-oh, I better clean it up real quick.'

"That was in the past and I'm here now, so enjoy."

Arizona: RF Justin Upton was scratched from the lineup against the Washington Nationals with a strained rib-cage muscle.

Chicago Cubs: Injured LF Alfonso Soriano (broken left hand) will be at the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium next week, but he won't be playing. Soriano took some batting practice in St. Louis last weekend and experienced some pain and weakness in the hand.

Cincinnati: Right-hander Aaron Harang will have an MRI exam on his right forearm.

Colorado: OF Ryan Spilborghs was placed on the 15-day disabled list, one day after straining his left oblique in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Houston: 2B Kazuo Matsui was activated from the 15-day DL.

Los Angeles: Don Mattingly will resume his duties as Los Angeles Dodgers hitting coach after the All-Star break. Mattingly, hired as part of new manager Joe Torre's staff during the offseason, asked to be switched from hitting coach to major-league special assignment coach, citing family reasons.

Mike Easler, who has filled in as hitting coach on an interim basis, will remain with the Dodgers organization in another capacity.

N.Y. Mets: Right-hander Tony Armas Jr. was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained abdominal muscle. Right-hander Carlos Muniz was recalled from Class AAA New Orleans.

San Diego: RF Brian Giles' sore right hamstring kept him out of the starting lineup again.

St. Louis: Left-hander Mark Mulder left his comeback start against the Philadelphia Phillies after throwing only 16 pitches and recording one out in the first inning. The Cardinals said Mulder had left-shoulder discomfort and will be evaluated today.

Washington: The team is awaiting word on whether LHP Odalis Perez will be fined or suspended for his outburst against umpire Angel Hernandez. Perez called Hernandez "stupid and [an] idiot" after the umpire called two balks on him in Tuesday night's 2-0 loss to Arizona.

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