Ryan Dempster was all set to go from closer to starter. The switch was a short one. After telling reporters Sunday how excited he was to join the Cubs' rotation, he was called in for a meeting with manager Lou Piniella. About 30 minutes later, Dempster returned to his locker with fresher news -- now he was staying in the bullpen. "It's not like I went and started. Obviously, it seems weird," Dempster said. Piniella had approached Dempster last week after the reliever gave up five runs in the ninth inning in a loss to the Mets and asked him if he'd like to be a starter again.