Cubs pitching reinforcements could come soon aside from trade deadline
CHICAGO — Cubs fans might be scouring for trade news as they eagerly await next week’s trade deadline for external reinforcements.
But there could be an internal calvary on its way to buoy an injury-riddled pitching staff.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell announced before Friday’s series opener against the White Sox that a trio of pitchers – right-handed starters Javier Assad and Jameson Taillon and righty reliever Porter Hodge – will soon begin rehab assignments at Triple-A Iowa. Additionally, catcher Miguel Amaya (left oblique strain) is close to rehabbing with the I-Cubs, too.
Taillon (right calf strain, July 3) threw a 47-pitch bullpen at Wrigley Field on Friday and Assad (left oblique strain) threw three innings in an Arizona Complex League outing on Thursday.
The pair’s injuries have been felt the most as the Cubs rotation has struggled to deal with blow after blow this season. Assad has yet to throw a pitch in the major leagues because of his injury and left-hander Justin Steele is out for the season after undergoing elbow surgery in April. Shota Imanaga missed nearly two months with a strained left hamstring, meaning 80% of the Cubs’ projected Opening Day rotation has missed significant time this season.
As a result, the Cubs have pitched to a 3.93 ERA as a staff, 13th in baseball and have been using a bullpen game every fifth day in front of Ben Brown, who sports a 6.48 ERA in 83.1 innings (17 games, 14 starts).
That’s led to added trade chatter about the Cubs adding starting help to bolster that group. While trades have slowly begun to materialize around the league, the starting pitching market hasn’t yet formed and could take until next Thursday’s deadline to do so. That means updates like Assad’s and Taillon’s are important.
Sure, there could be some starting pitching additions, but as we’ve seen, accumulating as much depth as possible is necessary. When Imanaga returned, Taillon landed on the IL, proving injuries can happen at any time, so numbers in the starting pitching department is crucial.
Hodge’s return would be a nice boost to the bullpen. The right-hander was Counsell’s closer by the end of the season last year but has struggled to recapture that form this season. He started the year as a setup option to Ryan Pressly, then was inserted back into the ninth after the veteran’s struggles.
He landed on the IL in mid-May with a left oblique injury, returned a month later and then was placed on the shelf again about two weeks later with a right shoulder impingement. Having Hodge as a leverage option aside Brad Keller, Caleb Thielbar and Daniel Palencia would be a big lift for Counsell.
Amaya landed on the IL on May 24 and played in the Complex League game with Assad. In his stead, Reese McGuire has stepped into the backup catcher role to Carson Kelly and entered Friday hitting .214 with 5 home runs and a .679 OPS in 73 plate appearances entering Friday.
