Lou Piniella is still waiting for his last managerial job to get easier.

The Chicago Cubs manager returned to one of his favorite places yesterday, the spring training home of the Seattle Mariners, the team he led for 10 years through its glory years ending in 2002.

The 64-year-old Piniella used the homecoming to declare this is the fifth and final stop on a largely successful managing carousel that began in 1986 with the Yankees. It's included a World Series title with Cincinnati in 1990 and an AL-record 116 wins with Seattle in 2001.

"This will be my last job, I can tell you that," Piniella said before his Cubs, injury-wracked already this spring, beat the Mariners, 6-5. "Maybe a little consulting job somewhere, but outside of that, no, this will be it managing-wise."

When asked if he would be open to an extension of his contract worth nearly $10 million, which is scheduled to end after the '09 season but has an option year for 2010, Piniella said: "Oh, I didn't say anything. All I am saying is I've got this year and next year. Nothing more and nothing less."

This spring has been trying, simply fielding enough healthy bodies for a team lately.

Alfonso Soriano, who received a $136 million contract before last season, fractured his right middle finger Sunday. Piniella said the left fielder will be out at least a week.

"His finger was really swollen today," Piniella said. "He'll have to tell us, but it's going to be a while."

Slugging, 100-RBI man Aramis Ramirez has had swelling and soreness in his right throwing shoulder. Piniella said Ramirez may return Thursday.

"Ramirez is probably the least of our worries," Piniella said.

A bigger one is second baseman Mark DeRosa. He has been out since Feb. 23, when he was taken to a hospital by ambulance and then released following an irregular heartbeat he experienced during drills. Piniella estimated DeRosa may miss another 10 days while the Cubs work him back into baseball activities.

"Look, I thought this was going to be an easy spring training, I really did," Piniella said, laughing. "I don't know, is there such a thing as an easy Cubs spring training?

"We've encountered some problems here early and we've just got to ride them out. Thank God that these things are happening now, rather than later on."

ELSEWHERE

Tigers: Brandon Inge won't be catching for Detroit anymore. Tigers manager Jim Leyland made that clear yesterday, a day after he used Detroit's former starting third baseman behind the plate. Inge began his career as a catcher, but after being used there Sunday he made comments to the media he was not happy with that role. He wants to play third base full time, but Detroit traded for Miguel Cabrera in the offseason, bumping Inge to a utility role. Inge has asked to be traded.

Phillies: Philadelphia first base coach Davey Lopes has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, and team officials said he was expected to make a full recovery. The former Milwaukee Brewers manager will have surgery later this month at the Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater and is expected to miss six weeks after that.

Braves: Atlanta renewed outfielder Jeff Francoeur's contract for the second year in a row yesterday after failing to agree on terms. With less than three full years in the big leagues, Francoeur is not eligible for arbitration until 2009. The Braves have always taken a hard line in negotiations with players who lack that bargaining chip. Terms of the new deal were not immediately available, but Francoeur likely will make about $450,000 this year. He was paid $427,500 last season after the Braves renewed his deal in similar fashion; he went on to bat .293 with 19 homers and 105 RBIs.

Giants: Noah Lowry walked nine of the first 12 hitters he faced yesterday in San Francisco's 6-4 loss to the Texas Rangers in 10 innings yesterday in Scottsdale, Ariz. Lowry threw 24 pitches before a Texas hitter took a swing. He went through the order once without an official at-bat — along with the walks, Ben Broussard and David Murphy hit sacrifice flies.

Dodgers: The team's trip to China next week will be delayed by a day. Originally scheduled to make the long flight to Beijing yesterday, the team will depart from Orlando the following day because the original charter company contracted by Major League Baseball didn't receive approval to land in China before its deadline. Team spokesman Josh Rawitch said the team will arrive about 20 hours later than originally scheduled. The Dodgers will face the San Diego Padres in exhibition games on March 15 and 16 at Beijing's Olympic baseball venue.

Yankees: New York broadcaster Bobby Murcer was resting in a Houston hospital after undergoing a brain biopsy yesterday. Results weren't expected until later in the week. An All-Star outfielder who played 17 seasons in the major leagues, Murcer had surgery in December 2006 — four days after being diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.

Athletics: Oakland shortstop Bobby Crosby was dropped from the starting lineup for yesterday's exhibition game against the Los Angeles Angels due to back spasms. Crosby, who missed the final two months of 2006 with a fractured vertebrae in his back, was working out with the team in the morning when he started experiencing tightness.

Diamondbacks: Arizona right-hander Micah Owings skipped a scheduled start yesterday because of a sore shoulder. "Right now I'm just nipping it so I'll be ready to go here shortly," Owings said after he was scratched from his start against Colorado. Owings said he's had soreness in the back of the shoulder before and that he's confident it will subside soon.