SeanE: If Capps has to go on the DL who would be in line to take over the closer role? Does Jesse Chavez have a shot? He seems to fit the mold; hard thrower, fearless and seems to have overcome his control issues.

Dejan Kovacevic: Hello from the Windy -- and rainy -- City. Hoping to see actual ball tonight, and not just a wet tarp. ... The closer role surely would go to John Grabow, especially now that he seems to have righted himself.

ChiBucs: Hi Dejan. Chicago resident here. Forced to listen to the WGN broadcast last night I got to hear the announcers laughing at Nyjer and his positioning in near CF vs a normal LF as Theriot hit ball after ball down the line (Bradley too). Since I live in Chicago I am forced to listen to many out of town announcers. This is the 4th time they've laughed at us. What's the deal with his unwavering LF alignment?

Dejan Kovacevic: No one affiliated with the Cubs is in a position to be laughing at anyone else, assuming that happened. Morgan's positioning on Theriot was inexplicable and, as noted in my coverage, reflected very poorly on the Pirates' advance scouting and coaching from the dugout. Three consecutive balls right down the left-field line, and Morgan kept staying in left-center.

SeanE: Hi Dejan: When can we expect to see Brad Lincoln in Indy? He has been pretty dominant lately at Altoona.

Dejan Kovacevic: He has had two, three very good starts. The Pirates want to see him improve his changeup. Actually, they want to see him use it, something he has been reluctant to do. He is leaning on locating fastballs, which is nice at that level but will get you hit hard at higher levels.

SDWC: Is there an update as to the expected target return of Ryan Doumit?

Dejan Kovacevic: Sure. As I reported two days ago, it is mid-June if all goes well with his CT scan Thursday.

SDWC: Will the Capps' injury extend Gorzelanny's stay?

Dejan Kovacevic: Tom Gorzelanny's quality pitching, including his work last night, should do that alone.

jimthorton: What are the chance Matt Capps goes to the disabled list, and if he does who gets called up in his place?

Dejan Kovacevic: The chances would appear to be good, since the ball struck right by his previously bruised bone in that area. Caution, if nothing else, would dictate that. I would expect Virgil Vasquez to come up. The Pirates really, really like him, and he has pitched well of late for Indianapolis.

Bucsin09: Will we get the game in tonight?

Dejan Kovacevic: The forecast is really bleak, but the skies outside here really are not that bad. We will see. It is a strange south-north system, but it is a huge one covering the whole Midwest.

bigbat25: What direction do you see the Buccos going in the upcoming June amateur draft?

Dejan Kovacevic: Our Chuck Finder will be doing all the advance work on the draft, so I am way out of that loop. Look forward to his preview-type piece in Friday's paper.

bucosdiehard: Glad to see the Bucs playing good at Wrigley finally. Dejan, if Andy LaRoche continues to hit like this all season will Pedro Alvarez be moved to first base? Pearce is not the answer at first.

Dejan Kovacevic: No. One does not move an elite prospect off a key position until absolutely necessary. Much can happen between now and the time Alvarez reaches Pittsburgh.

richie_zisk: With Akinori Iwamura out for the season and Tampa Bay having a contending team, could the Pirates offer Freddy Sanchez for Reid Brignac in a package? Is Brignac still considered untouchable? Or does management still think .500 or the playoffs are still possible?

Dejan Kovacevic: No soup!

JohnBMiller: Does management worry about the power output from guys like An. LaRoche and Moss or do they see it as on its way?

Dejan Kovacevic: They see both as needing to first establish themselves as solid hitters. From there, they say, the power will come because the power always has been there with both. One would think LaRoche is closer than Moss if only because he has been hitting better.

jj: With the NL Central seeming to be wide open, if the Pirates somehow manage to climb back over .500, will LaRoche, Sanchez, Grabow, Wilson still be traded? How much longer is Duke under the Pirates control and will the Pirates offer him a longer term contract this offseason if he keeps pitching this well?

Dejan Kovacevic: If the Pirates are over .500, I would be stunned if you see the annual moving of veterans. Much faith would be lost among the fan base, even more than usual.

SweepCubs: Are there any 'under the radar' Pirates prospects you are hearing a 'buzz' about this year? (besides the one's we hear all the time: Tabata, Alvarez, Lincoln, etc)

Dejan Kovacevic: The kid that stands out in the off-the-radar category is reliever Michael Dubee at Lynchburg. His K-BB ratio is outrageous, and he is not giving up much of anything. He was a recent pickup, so his name is new to most.

Toomey309: If you are sure that Sano is 16, who would you rather have, Sano or any player in the draft not named Strasburg?

Dejan Kovacevic: That would be far better answered by those evaluating the talent, but I know that those who study the current draft crop are not terribly impressed by much of anything past Strasburg. And those who have seen Sano sound like they are moved to write poetry about him.

Teke_s_Turtleneck: I may be biased, but Jack Wilson never ceases to amaze with the glove, and sometimes with the bat, when talking trade, is he underestimated by contenders? If I'm a GM, I'd take him in a second.

Dejan Kovacevic: Wilson is an above-average, sometimes terrific major league defensive shortstop. But the bat is valued more at that position now than ever.

PittFan85: Has it been not nice not getting e-mails about Andy LaRoche over the past week or so? He seems to be playing fairly well, given the early struggles.

Dejan Kovacevic: Actually, the emails I get about him are furious with John Russell for pinch-hitting for him or resting him. Probably a good sign for LaRoche.

pagamecock: What was with JR pinch hitting Vasquez for Andy LaRoche last week against Washington, and then starting Vasquez the next day against the Sox? He's batting .200

Dejan Kovacevic: See what I mean?

PirateApologist: You hinted at it before, just how much e-mail do you get about Neil Walker each week?

Dejan Kovacevic: Way more than one would expect regarding a .220 hitter in Class AAA. The same is true of possible positional switches for everyone in the organization when someone happens to be doing well at a given position. Bottom line: No one is blocking anyone on a 95-loss team with limited talent in the minors.

macsinthebox: DK, I believe Adam has been a disappointment in Pittsburgh because of his approach at the plate, he seems more interested in working a walk than actually driving the ball. Because he lets so many good pitches go early in the count i feel it also contributes to his high strikeout total. Am i way off in your opinion?

Dejan Kovacevic: You surely are off on the first part. He does let good pitches go by, in terms of strikes, but he has specific areas of the zone in which he feels he can drive the ball better than others, even if all of those are strikes.

PittFan85: Who do you see as the Pirates' all-star at this point? I would guess Duke or Sanchez. It's still a bit early, but the voting is under way.

Dejan Kovacevic: Sanchez or Nate McLouth. Very tough for a Pirate to crack the All-Star pitching staff, especially based on just a couple months of being good.

tom: Hi Dejan, appreciate your work, do you think Sanchez and Wilson are around next year?

Dejan Kovacevic: I think Sanchez will be. And I think Wilson could be, if a real renegotiation of that option takes place. As mentioned many times, there are no internal options to replace him. We see that all the time.

RamboDiaz: Any chance we see Gorzy get a chance to close or set up while Capps is nursing his elbow?

Dejan Kovacevic: Grabow will be the closer, I believe.

znc1: Hi Dejan, do you know how long of a leash Karstens has? He seems to be pitching better of late, but Gorzelanny's work in the bullpen and Vasquez and McCutchen's AAA performances might be pushing him to relief.

Dejan Kovacevic: Karstens needs to keep getting better, for sure, but you correctly point out that he has. Daniel McCutchen is no threat to anyone in the current rotation, but Gorzelanny has done well.

CINCYBUCCO: Any word from Russell or Hill on the Pirates defensive positioning last night, especially when Theriot was up Morgan was almost in center field and Theriot burned them 3 times?

Dejan Kovacevic: Perry Hill works the infield, and there were too many other issues to cover late last night -- notably Capps -- to get into that with Russell. Maybe today.

bill: Were you surprised by the curious decision by Russell to pinch hit Craig Monroe with the bases loaded in the 5th last night? As a pinch hitter Monroe was 0-12 with 6 strikeouts. There was also a right handed pitcher on the mound and 2 lefties and a switch hitter who has proven to be very good in pinch hitting spots sitting on the bench. Was there some justification for that move?

Dejan Kovacevic: At some point, bench guys have to pinch-hit. If Monroe comes through there, as he has a starter, that could have been quite the lift for all concerned. ... Man, we sure are bitter about a 10-8 victory against a team that usually creams the Pirates.

Monroe_Yoder: J. Jarmarillo was 3 for 4 and swinging a really good bat last night, until John Russell had him try laying down a bunt and eventually striking out. Do you find some of his moves puzzling?

Dejan Kovacevic: I am no fan of the bunt.

Monroe_Yoder: I disagree that nobody is being blocked on a 95 loss team if Moss, Young, and Morgan are standing in the way of McCutchen. Or am I wrong?

Dejan Kovacevic: Very certainly, no one is blocking Andrew McCutchen. When the Pirates deem him ready to play, he will play and someone else will go.

bleary: Why is Russell so keen to play the infield in, especially with one out and a base open, when he could intentionally walk and go for a double play? I feel that a double play ball is more common than one fielded by infielders on the grass.

Dejan Kovacevic: He has adopted, for two seasons now, an aggressive approach in that situation. Some find it curious. Others like it. There are few runs he outright concedes.

MrB: In light of the performance of our back-up catchers, does management reconsider moving Doumit to 1B if they deal Adam LaRoche?

Dejan Kovacevic: That never has come up, and I would be surprised if it did.

duke_of_dormont: is Duke's reemergence due to a new pitching coach or a new attitude?

Dejan Kovacevic: A little bit of both. Regarding the attitude, Duke pushed himself to get his arm stronger, which has led to better zip and movement on all his pitches, not least of which is the fastball. Check the 2005 footage: He was getting up there routinely at 92 mph, just like he is now.

PirateApologist: Why did the Dodgers end up taking a symbolic dollar from the Pirates instead of taking another player from the pile?

Dejan Kovacevic: They chose from the better-player pile, in their view, and added cash. It was not symbolic. That was one of the options in the written agreement.

znc1: Did Adam LaRoche's calendar accidentally flip April and May? To be fair, he appears to be hitting plenty of balls hard, but right at fielders.

Dejan Kovacevic: People wonder how sports writers can get jaded. The Pirates have 34 hits in the past two games, and the one guy not part of the parade is topic No. 1 today. ... LaRoche has had mostly decent approaches and made better contact than during his usual slumps, but the results have been scarce.

SeanE: How important is the next month or so before the deadline to Adam LaRoche's chances of sticking around the full season. Is it a forgone conclusion he will be gone or will the team be willing to take a compensatory draft pick if keeping him means a shot at .500 ...

Dejan Kovacevic: Should not matter much at all. LaRoche is the one player in baseball, maybe, who retains full value even after a poor first half, because everyone should know what he does in the second.

Teke_s_Turtleneck: How do the Bucs view Ian Snell's future and/or potential? Are they frustrated by his inconsistency, happy with him? Is he a no. 2 starter or worse? Like all of us, he's not getting younger.

Dejan Kovacevic: They expect more out of Snell than they have gotten, for sure.

Monroe_Yoder: I know you're no Cub beat writer, but did you find it odd Lou pinch hit Carlos Zambrano instead of Fukudome with a righty on the mound and runners on last night?

Dejan Kovacevic: I am not familiar with whether or not Fukudome might have been hurt or slumping. I know the Japanese media sitting behind me seemed to stir quite a bit.

Toon_gone_Doon__: Last year, there was talk of Marte staying because he'd be a type A free agent and thus bring back draft picks. Do the front office project any of LaRoche, Wilson or Grabow to reach type A status and thus may keep them around for the rest of the season if the offers aren't good enough?

Dejan Kovacevic: The Type A system was nearly blown apart this past offseason, so that whole scene has changed. Look for the trade to the be the first option in all cases.

JackSplat58: Who do you see as the longer term future at 1B? Pearce isn't the answer is he? Aren't they looking for lefty bats to fit our park?

Dejan Kovacevic: First base is not easy to project long-term because players can move there from all over the diamond. If Alvarez cannot stay at third, as many feel, he would appear to be the one. But much remains to be determined, obviously.

buccoage: Could Donnie Veal's development be hurt by never pitching competitively? How much longer until the Bucs' work out a deal for him like they did for Meek?

Dejan Kovacevic: They will not do that until they reach the point, as with Meek, where they are forced to use him. The good starting pitching has not mandated that yet.

SeanE: Any buzz in Chicago about Pinella being in trouble? Cubs have sure underachieved even with their injuries.

Dejan Kovacevic: No, I do not get that sense yesterday. But I do not cover them, so ...

Monroe_Yoder: Nyjer seemed to be toying with and aggravating the crowd in the left field stands last night. Do you like to see that from a player? Or do you like the Jason Bay approach and ignore it all?

Dejan Kovacevic: He talks constantly with the fans in the outfield seats, including at PNC. Very much that kind of guy. Welcomes them to "Morgan-town," as he calls it.

Thunder: Any scuttlebutt that the Pirates are anywhere near bringing up Andrew McCutchen?

Dejan Kovacevic: They are not prepared to do that just yet, and there is no obvious need on either end. One more ...

ToddGreene: Who would win in a fight, Craig Monroe or Eric Hinske?

Dejan Kovacevic: Tyler Yates. ... Q&A Thursday. Maybe some ball tonight ...