Cubs manager Lou Pinella has backed off comments he made about benching outfielder Kosuke Fukudome for his recent struggles at the plate, according to The Chicago Tribune. "We want this young man to hit," Piniella said. "We're pulling for him. ... I never said I was disappointed. All I said, basically, was we'd like to see him start hitting?and it created a stir. I mean, I've said that about other players." Fukudome is hitting .227 since the All-Star break and .107 in August. "He's a good player, a real good player," Piniella said. "And to his credit, he has continued to hustle and he has played really well in right field. He's just in a little bit of a slump. He's probably trying to do too much. He just needs to do the things he's capable of, like he was earlier in the year. He's taking [fewer] pitches. He's not working the count the way he was earlier. He just needs to swing at more strikes."