Blanco out 10 days to 2 weeks (UPDATED)

Word out of Arizona today is that backup infielder Andres Blanco will be out 10 days to two weeks because of a moderate sprain of his right knee. He suffered the injury yesterday. As you read on Scot Gregor's Sox blog today, the Cubs-Sox game today at Glendale was rained out:

http://blogs.dailyherald.com/node/3590

We'll see if the Cubs and Dodgers can go at it in Mesa. (UPDATE: That won't happen, either, as that game was rained out, too.) Cubs manager Lou Piniella was quick to dismiss any notion that a lengthy injury to Blanco would have meant Starlin Castro would be in the picture to open the season on the 25-man roster as a backup. The Cubs want Castro to play, so they'll start him at Class AAA Iowa, where he can play every day. I'd imagine we'll see him at Wrigley sometime this season. The Cubs also don't want to start the arbitration and free-agency clocks too soon with Castro, anyway:

http://muskat.mlblogs.com/archives/2010/03/37_blanco_out_10-14_days.html

The Cubs already have a backup candidate in infielder Darwin Barney, who had a line of .317/.368/.401 last year at Tennessee (AA) before going .264/.304/.330 in 63 games at Iowa. The 24-year-old Barney is a 5-foot-10 scrapper in the mold of Ryan Theriot. He was a fourth-round draft pick of Tim Wilken out of Oregon State in 2007.

UPDATE: Carrie Muskat at cubs.com reports that outfielder Xavier Nady is probably three days from getting into a game as he continues his rehab from Tommy John surgery:

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100307&content_id=870...

Nady has been working with pitching coach Larry Rothschild on getting better throwing mechanics so as to protect the elbow when he does get back into games.

Angel Guzman told reporters in Arizona today that he's mulling shoulder surgery. The tough-luck Guzman has a ligament tear in his right shoulder. The injury is a serious one that's potentially career-ending. Guzman is only 28, but he's been with the Cubs since they signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Venezuela in 1999.

GM Jim Hendry is going to have to make a trade sooner of later. If you're keeping an eye on relievers in Cubs camp, you've got Esmailin Caridad, whom Lou says has made the team. From the system, Lou has already mused about Andrew Cashner breaking with the team in a bullpen role. Blake Parker had 22 saves and a WHIP of 1.24 at Iowa last year. James Russell pitched out of the pen last season, but he's a lefty. Mitch Atkins, the minor-pitcher of the year for the Cubs a couple years ago, had a tough go in Iowa last season. Jeff Gray is still ailing with a groin injury.

Justin Berg is a sinkerball pitcher who was 6-2 with a 2.43 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP at Iowa last year. Berg got into 11 games with the Cubs last year, going 0-0 with an 0.75 ERA with 1 walk in 12 innings. He figures to get a long look this spring.

The Cubs have Rule 5 pick Mike Parisi in camp as well as Marcos Mateo, who began last year with Daytona (A) before seeing bullpen and starting duty at Tennessee.