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The Cubs bullpen already is in double-digit losses this year, and only seems to be getting worse. Bob Howry and Scott Eyre aren't getting the job done anymore. Ryan Dempster is starting to revert back to his old ways. Rocky Cherry and Michael Wuertz are still young. What's the modern-day record for most losses by a bullpen, and are there any rumors about shifting things around here?
-- Ryan W., Lexington, Ky.

There's plenty of rumors. First, the facts. The 2004 Colorado Rockies 'pen holds the record for most losses with 39. The worst the Cubs bullpen has done is a 25-35 record in 2000. The Cubs' 1997 'pen also lost 33 games.

Things are in a state of flux. Howry and Eyre have been inconsistent, but the problem isn't overwork. On Sunday, Dempster said he was going back into the rotation, then 20 minutes later, said he's still the closer. The latest storyline has Angel Guzman being groomed as a potential closer. Guzman has been bothered by cramping in his legs and forearm in his starts, so shorter appearances may be the answer. Cubs manager Lou Piniella does like hard-throwing pitchers in that role. Is this the right time to experiment? That's Piniella's call.

A few more facts: Last year, the Cubs relievers set a Major League record for most relief appearances with 542. They were 18-27, and totaled 562 innings, the most in the National League and a franchise high, topping the previous mark of 532 innings by the 1983 Cubs 'pen.

With the bullpen struggling, would the Cubs consider moving Guzman back to the bullpen and bringing up Sean Marshall to be the fifth starter?
-- Drew H., Peoria, Ill.

Guzman is back in the 'pen, and Marshall is being considered for the rotation, especially after his last outing May 17 against Oklahoma, when he gave up one run over eight innings. Marshall was 2-0 with a 1.82 ERA at Triple-A Iowa. We'll know more Tuesday.

What is going on with Big Z? After 10 starts, Carlos Zambrano has given up 40 runs (38 earned), 12 homers and 31 walks, much worse than any of the other regular starters. Is something going on with his mechanics? What are the Cubs doing to get him back on track? Zambrano is my favorite Cub, mostly because of his intensity and how he can dominate a game. I remember when I was excited about each of his starts because I thought there was a chance for a Cubs no-hitter. When can I expect the return of the pitcher I used to know?
-- Scott D., Richmond, Va.

Zambrano appeared to be back on track May 15, when he gave up one run on six hits over eight innings against the Mets. His arm angle was higher, his delivery was more compact. He was OK on Sunday against the White Sox until two outs in the fateful seventh inning. What's puzzling to me is that teams are hitting .270 against Zambrano, including a .317 average in the first inning. Last year, they hit .208 against the right-hander. Maybe teams know what to expect. Maybe it's just lapses in concentration.

Have a question about the Cubs? E-mail your query to MLB.com Cubs beat reporter Carrie Muskat for possible inclusion in a future Inbox column. Letters may be edited for brevity, length and/or content. First Name, Last Initial: Hometown: Email Address: Question:

When was the last time a pitcher and catcher homered in the same inning?
-- Darren G., Crystal Lake, Ill.

Before Michael Barrett and Jason Marquis accomplished the feat in the fifth inning against the White Sox on Saturday, both Zambrano and Barrett homered in the same inning on July 2, 2006 -- also against the Sox -- connecting in the first off starter Mark Buehrle. On June 5, 2006, Zambrano and Barrett homered in the same game, but not the same inning.

Alfonso Soriano may have been a 40-40-40 guy for Washington, but the most amazingly overlooked stat whenever referencing "The Fonz" is that he only had 95 RBIs. The bottom line is, he should be getting 120-plus RBIs a year. He would easily do that if he was hitting down in the lineup. I'm sorry, but Lou has it wrong. Soriano could be doing more damage to opposing teams, but we are limiting him and, in a sense, the whole team's success by batting him leadoff. Did the Cardinals win the World Series by batting their power hitters in the leadoff spot? Nope. They used David Eckstein, who is scrappy just like Ryan Theriot. It just makes sense.
-- Brandon G., Indianapolis, Ind.

Actually, Piniella has hinted he wants Theriot batting leadoff. Soriano has batted third for seven games while Derrek Lee nurses neck spasms. Now, seven games aren't enough to make a fair judgement, but Soriano is 5-for-28 (.179) with one RBI in those games. For the season, he's hitting .240 with runners in scoring position, and .216 with runners on base. When Lee returns Tuesday, Soriano could move into the No. 2 spot and hopefully have someone on base ahead of him to drive in. He's hit 14 doubles, and nine have come with the bases empty.

The last time I looked, Felix Pie was hitting .464 with an on-base percentage of .530. How is he hitting against left-handed pitching and when do you think we'll see him back with the big club? -- Ron K., Delphi, Ind.

Since you wrote, Pie is batting .415 in 21 games at Iowa and has an on-base percentage of .479. In his first 10 games at Iowa before he was called up to the big leagues, Pie hit .444 (16-for-36) with nine walks and five strikeouts. In 10 games since going back to the Minor League team, he was hitting .391 (18-for-46), including three triples, with two walks and eight strikeouts. He's been batting exclusively in the No. 2 spot since rejoining the Iowa Cubs on May 10, and his on-base percentage in those 10 games is .417. It was .543 in April.

He's still struggling against lefties, batting .100 (2-for-20), compared to .479 (35-for-73) against right-handers. He has one extra-base hit off southpaw pitching (a double). The Cubs want to see him become more patient at the plate, and, as of now, don't have a spot in the outfield. If he's going to play, he needs to play every day.

How has Jeff Samardzija been doing this year? I heard he was on the Class A team, and what do you think are the chances of him pitching in the Majors this year?
-- Jeff S., Wausau, Wis.

Samardzija is pitching for Class A Daytona, and don't be discouraged by his stats. As of Sunday, he's 0-2 with a 3.83 ERA in eight starts. The Cubs want him to work on his changeup, so he's being asked to throw a certain number of changeups in each start. It's part of the development process. They know he has a good slider, they know he needs to improve on locating his fastball. Will he be in the Majors this year? Doubtful, unless it's in September.

Why was Kerry Wood transferred to the 60-day disabled list? Did he suffer a new injury? Also, can we expect to see him in a Cubs uniform this season?
-- Matt F., Regina, Sask.

Wood was switched from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL simply as a procedural move so the Cubs could add infielder Mike Fontenot, who was not on the Cubs 40-man roster. Putting a player on the 60-day DL frees up a spot on the 40-man. As to whether we can expect to see him pitching at Wrigley Field this season, he's working to get back. Wood received a cortisone shot in his shoulder a couple weeks ago to deal with the inflammation. He was to begin playing catch Monday.