MILWAUKEE — Jeff Samardzija will try to get back on track at Triple-A Iowa.
Samardzija was optioned to the Minor Leagues on Saturday to make room on the Cubs' roster for lefty Ted Lilly, who was activated from the disabled list and was to make his season debut the same night against the Milwaukee Brewers.
With the Cubs' decision to move Opening Day starter Carlos Zambrano to the bullpen, the team had too many right-handers. Samardzija posted an 18.90 ERA in four relief appearances, having given up seven earned runs on five hits and six walks over 3 1/3 innings.
Among the other right-handed candidates in the Cubs' bullpen, Jeff Gray has given up three earned runs on six hits and two walks over five innings for a 5.40 ERA, and Justin Berg has given up four earned runs on six hits and three walks over seven innings for a 5.14 ERA.
In his last outing, on Monday in New York, Samardzija, 25, did not record an out, giving up one hit and walking one. He had served up runs in three of his four most recent appearances.
Samardzija began this season as a candidate for a spot in the Cubs' rotation and has made it clear he'd prefer to start. This spring, manager Lou Piniella said he felt Samardzija had made progress and for the first time looked more like a pitcher than a football player trying to pitch. Samardzija starred at Notre Dame as a wide receiver.
In March, Piniella said the Cubs didn't want Samardzija bouncing back and forth from the bullpen to the rotation, which is what he did last year. Samardzija was 6-6 with a 4.35 ERA in 18 games (17 starts) with the Triple-A team and 1-3 with a 7.53 ERA in 20 games (two starts) with the Cubs.
Lilly was coming back from arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder last November.