James Russell has struggled every time he has received the ball as the Cubs fifth starter. He has been given enough opportunities (4) to prove he can start, but it is clear that he is better suited for the pen. His ERA for the season is 7.85 and his record stats at 1-2.
That being said, the Cubs are in an interesting position. Next Saturday is the next time that they will need the fifth starter. The two injured pitchers, Andrew Cashner and Randy Wells, are making progress but neither will be ready next week. The Cubs options are dwindling.
According to a tweet from Carrie Muskat, former Cardinals right hander Todd Wellemyer, who was pitching in the minors for the Cubs, has retired. He was given a minor league contract and a chance to start in spring training, but a hip injured hindered his progress. He pitched on 3.2 innings for Triple-A Iowa, allowing four runs on eight hits in his lone start last Thursday.
The Sun Times has reported that LHP Doug Davis will work for Iowa on Wednesday, ruling him out for Saturday's start. Davis worked 6.2 scoreless frames for for Class-A Daytona on Thursday.
Wells and Casher both threw on the side yesterday. They will toss live BP at HoHoKam Park in Arizona sometime in the next week.
Ramon Ortiz, signed in April to potential help bolster the rotation at some point, is 1-1 with a 3.45 ERA in five games for the I-Cubs. He could be the prime candidate for Saturday's start against the Giants if the Cubs go with someone other than Russell. The top pitching prospect at Triple-A is Jay Jackson, who could be called up for his big league debut. Cubs relievers Jeff Samardzija and Marcos Mateo are in the mix, but it is unlikely that the team will decide to go in that direction.
That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted.
Showing posts with label Todd Wellemyer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Todd Wellemyer. Show all posts
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Cashner & Wells Go Down: Rotation Options Now
The Cubs surprised everyone today by announcing that they have lost two of their starting pitchers after just one time through the rotation. Randy Wells and Andrew Cashner have both been placed on the 15-day DL.
Cashner has a strained right rotator cuff. He left Tuesday's game with the injury, so that was not as much of a shock as Randy's injury. Wells has a strained right forearm.
Losing two starting pitchers this early in the season is a huge hit to a 3-3
Cubs team that fell to the D'backs today. This is about the time that the Cubs regret letting Carlos Silva and Braden Looper go instead of offering one of them a bullpen spot. In spring training, the Cubs had four solid options for the back end of the rotation. All four are now out of the picture- one retired, one released and two injured.
After tomorrow's off day, Carlos Zambrano and Matt Garza will work the first two games in Milwaukee. Then Wells' spot will come up in the rotation. Casey Coleman is expected to be called up from Triple-A Iowa to make the start. Coleman did a great job last year in a starting role and had a fairly good spring. While Coleman is a no-brainer at this point, Cashner's rotation replacement remains a question mark.
Todd Wellemyer, who received a few starts in spring training, is still trying to recover from hip injury. He will start the year at Fitch Park until he is ready to pitch in game situations. Of the rest of the Iowa Cubs projected rotation (Austin Bibens-Dirkx, Roberto Coello, Thomas Diamond, J.R. Mathes and Coleman), Thomas Diamond makes the most sense to come up to the big leagues. He didn't fair too well last year, bouncing back and forth between the pen and starting five. However, Diamond still has the most experience among the four.
The best option could be in the Cubs bullpen. Lefty James Russell was a starter in the minor leagues and could easily move back into that role. Jeff Samardzija is expected to remain in relief for now, while Marcos Mateo is also out of the question.
Most likely, Mike Quade will decide to skip the fifth spot for a while. Ryan Dempster can pitch on regular rest on Monday thanks to the off day Thursday. The Cubs have another day off next Thursday. Q could avoid using more than four starters until either Cashner or Wells returns, depending on how long they are out.
Two roster additions will be made before Friday's game, one of which will be Casey Coleman.
Cashner has a strained right rotator cuff. He left Tuesday's game with the injury, so that was not as much of a shock as Randy's injury. Wells has a strained right forearm.
Losing two starting pitchers this early in the season is a huge hit to a 3-3
Cubs team that fell to the D'backs today. This is about the time that the Cubs regret letting Carlos Silva and Braden Looper go instead of offering one of them a bullpen spot. In spring training, the Cubs had four solid options for the back end of the rotation. All four are now out of the picture- one retired, one released and two injured.
After tomorrow's off day, Carlos Zambrano and Matt Garza will work the first two games in Milwaukee. Then Wells' spot will come up in the rotation. Casey Coleman is expected to be called up from Triple-A Iowa to make the start. Coleman did a great job last year in a starting role and had a fairly good spring. While Coleman is a no-brainer at this point, Cashner's rotation replacement remains a question mark.
Todd Wellemyer, who received a few starts in spring training, is still trying to recover from hip injury. He will start the year at Fitch Park until he is ready to pitch in game situations. Of the rest of the Iowa Cubs projected rotation (Austin Bibens-Dirkx, Roberto Coello, Thomas Diamond, J.R. Mathes and Coleman), Thomas Diamond makes the most sense to come up to the big leagues. He didn't fair too well last year, bouncing back and forth between the pen and starting five. However, Diamond still has the most experience among the four.
The best option could be in the Cubs bullpen. Lefty James Russell was a starter in the minor leagues and could easily move back into that role. Jeff Samardzija is expected to remain in relief for now, while Marcos Mateo is also out of the question.
Most likely, Mike Quade will decide to skip the fifth spot for a while. Ryan Dempster can pitch on regular rest on Monday thanks to the off day Thursday. The Cubs have another day off next Thursday. Q could avoid using more than four starters until either Cashner or Wells returns, depending on how long they are out.
Two roster additions will be made before Friday's game, one of which will be Casey Coleman.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Weekend Quick Hits: Conflicting Reports on Castillo, A Plaque for Santo, Barney Pulling Away & More
- Bruce Miles reports that the Cubs will not go after Luis Castillo, who was recently released by the Mets.
- Miles is hoping that the Cubs throw Andrew Cashner into the rotation and cut Carlos Silva.
- Augie Ojeda has not been able to play due to back spasms. Darwin Barney has emerged as the favorite to take the final infield spot.
- According to Carrie Muskat, Todd Wellemyer has been out of the spring rotation because of a sore right hip.
- Casey Coleman has been sent over to Fitch Park to get some innings in.
- Here is a picture of the new Ron Santo plaque at HoHoKam Park.
- MLB Trade Rumors, citing ESPN Deportes as their source, says that the Cubs are interested in Castillo.
- Bruce Levine thinks that the decision on the final two spots in the rotation could be made as soon as Monday or Tuesday.
- The Sun Times reports that Reed Johnson is pulling away from Fernando Perez for the final outfield spot and Barney has the final infield spot all but wrapped up.
My final four picks: Florida, Duke, Ohio State and Kansas.
That's it for now, I'll keep you posted!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Catching Up Quick Hits: Santo's Day, Levine's Latest, and More
It is Ron Santo day in Mesa, Arizona today as the Cubs take on the Indians!
A lot of news and notes to catch up on from this week in Cubs camp, so let's jump right in.
A lot of news and notes to catch up on from this week in Cubs camp, so let's jump right in.
- According to Carrie Muskat, John Grabow has not pitched in a Cactus League game since the opener on Feb. 27 due to some shoulder tightness.
- Mike Quade has not decided who will get the bulk of the playing time at first base.
- Todd Wellemyer has a soar right hip.
- Bruce Levine reports that the Cubs will have to eat a lot of Carlos Silva's $12M contract in order to trade him.
- Levine is not worried about Matt Garza despite his early struggles.
- Bruce says that Jeff Samardzija is "on the team." There is very little chance that he will not make the roster since he has a big contract and is out of options.
- Carlos Marmol has impressed Levine the most so far this year. He has continued to look unhittable.
- Mike Quade has locked Starlin Castro into the two hole and Aramis Ramirez into the cleanup spot. The rest of the batting order has yet to be determined.
- Geovany Soto could move up to No. 5 or No. 6 in the lineup, but most likely he will not hit as high as three.
- The Cubs like Koyie Hill because of his defense and relationship with pitchers.
- Levine believes that the Cubs can win 80-85 games.
- Bruce expects Brett Jackson to be the biggest surprise this season.
That's it for now, I'll keep you posted!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Breaking News: Todd Wellemyer Signs with the Cubs
Another ex-Cub will return to the team in Spring Training. Add Todd Wellemyer to the list that already included Kerry Wood, Reed Johnson and Lou Montanez.
Wellemyer is getting a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training, where he will try to earn a spot in the rotation or middle relief. The one year deal is worth $800,000 and he could earn another $400,000 with incentives.
Todd was selected by the Cubs in the fourth round of the 2000 draft. He made his big league debut in May of 2003 and stayed with the team until being traded to Florida in March 2006. He appeared in 57 games during his first stint with the team, all in relief. Since then Wellemyer has played with the Marlins, Royals, Cardinals and most recently the Giants.
The right hander has been used mostly as a starter since 2008. He went 3-5 with a 5.68 ERA in 13 games (11 starts) for the World Champs last season.
I will update this post if I get any more information.
Wellemyer is getting a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training, where he will try to earn a spot in the rotation or middle relief. The one year deal is worth $800,000 and he could earn another $400,000 with incentives.
Todd was selected by the Cubs in the fourth round of the 2000 draft. He made his big league debut in May of 2003 and stayed with the team until being traded to Florida in March 2006. He appeared in 57 games during his first stint with the team, all in relief. Since then Wellemyer has played with the Marlins, Royals, Cardinals and most recently the Giants.
The right hander has been used mostly as a starter since 2008. He went 3-5 with a 5.68 ERA in 13 games (11 starts) for the World Champs last season.
I will update this post if I get any more information.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Series Preview: Cubs VS Giants
The Cubs are headed back to the West Coast, where they will meet the Giants late tonight. The Cubbies offense has done nothing lately, and they will face very good pitching in the next seven games.
Four in San Fran starts tonight for a team that is coming off a 1-5 homestand and a sweep at the hands of the Cincinnati Reds. The Cubs come in at a new low water mark for the season, 17 games under .500 at 47-64. They are in fifth place, 16.5 back of first and 0.5 back of fourth. The Boys in Blue have dropped nine of their last ten.
The Giants come in after losing three of four in Atlanta in a big series this weekend. Tonight they will start a stretch of seven straight at AT&T Park, where they host the Cubs and the Padres this week. It will be an important week for San Francisco, because they are two games back of San Diego for the top spot in the NL West.
A 63-49 overall record puts the Giants atop the Wildcard standings in the National League. They will look to catch the Pads down the stretch, but at the same time they're trying to fend off the Phillies and Cardinals in the Wild Card race.
This series will be the first one between the two teams this season! This is the Cubs only trip to the Bay Area all year but the Giants will come to Wrigley September 21-23. The two teams haven't seen each other since a few Cactus League battles back in March.
Cubs manager Lou Piniella, who's having a tough summer personally and professionally, will not be with the team for this series. Sweet Lou's mother is in the hospital and he will head to Tampa, Florida to take care of her. He hopes to rejoin the team in St. Louis. For the time being, Alan Trammell will serve as the acting manager once again. Tram will get another chance to get his first W of the year after going 0-3 when Lou left the team for his uncle's funeral.
The Giants have couple of former Cubs farmhands on their roster in pitcher Todd Wellemyer and outfielder Andres Torres. Manager Bruce Bochy hopes his team can take advantage of the slumping Cubs and win this series before battling the first place Padres this weekend.
WGN Radio broadcaster Ron Santo has been skipping many of the Cubs road trips lately in order to stay healthy. Santo is a 70 year old type 1 diabetic. Dave Otto will join Pat Hughes on the broadcasts in San Fran.
Carlos Zambrano will make his return to the rotation tonight. Big Z hasn't made a start since the late June game against the White Sox where he exploded in the dugout on his teammates and ended up suspended for three games and then placed on the restricted list. Since then, Zambrano has undergone treatment from doctors, minor league rehab outings, three big league relief appearances, and is finally set to return to the rotation.
Both teams are expected to have their regular catchers back in the lineup on Monday. Buster Posey of the Giants received Sunday's game off but did pinch hit in the 9th. Geovany Soto missed the games on Saturday and Sunday due to a mild ligament sprain in his right shoulder.
Game 1: Monday at 9:15 CT
Cubs Starting Pitcher: Carlos Zambrano, RHP (3-6, 5.61 ERA)
Giants Starting Pitcher: Madison Bumgarner, LHP (4-4, 3.20 ERA)
TV/Radio: CSN+/WGN Radio
Game 2: Tuesday at 9:15 CT
Cubs Starting Pitcher: Ryan Dempster, RHP (9-8, 3.76 ERA)
Giants Starting Pitcher: Tim Lincecum, RHP (11-5, 3.15 ERA)
TV/Radio: WGN-TV/WGN Radio
Game 3: Wednesday at 9:15 CT
Cubs Starting Pitcher: Tom Gorzelanny, LHP (6-6, 3.51 ERA)
Giants Starting Pitcher: Barry Zito, LHP (8-6, 3.35 ERA)
TV/Radio: CSN/WGN Radio
Game 4: Thursday at 2:45 CT
Cubs Starting Pitcher: Randy Wells, RHP (10-5, 4.37 ERA)
Giants Starting Pitcher: Matt Cain, RHP (9-9, 3.06 ERA)
TV/Radio: WGN-TV/WGN Radio
Have the Cubs hit rock bottom yet?
Let's play the role of spoilers!
Four in San Fran starts tonight for a team that is coming off a 1-5 homestand and a sweep at the hands of the Cincinnati Reds. The Cubs come in at a new low water mark for the season, 17 games under .500 at 47-64. They are in fifth place, 16.5 back of first and 0.5 back of fourth. The Boys in Blue have dropped nine of their last ten.
The Giants come in after losing three of four in Atlanta in a big series this weekend. Tonight they will start a stretch of seven straight at AT&T Park, where they host the Cubs and the Padres this week. It will be an important week for San Francisco, because they are two games back of San Diego for the top spot in the NL West.
A 63-49 overall record puts the Giants atop the Wildcard standings in the National League. They will look to catch the Pads down the stretch, but at the same time they're trying to fend off the Phillies and Cardinals in the Wild Card race.
This series will be the first one between the two teams this season! This is the Cubs only trip to the Bay Area all year but the Giants will come to Wrigley September 21-23. The two teams haven't seen each other since a few Cactus League battles back in March.
Cubs manager Lou Piniella, who's having a tough summer personally and professionally, will not be with the team for this series. Sweet Lou's mother is in the hospital and he will head to Tampa, Florida to take care of her. He hopes to rejoin the team in St. Louis. For the time being, Alan Trammell will serve as the acting manager once again. Tram will get another chance to get his first W of the year after going 0-3 when Lou left the team for his uncle's funeral.
The Giants have couple of former Cubs farmhands on their roster in pitcher Todd Wellemyer and outfielder Andres Torres. Manager Bruce Bochy hopes his team can take advantage of the slumping Cubs and win this series before battling the first place Padres this weekend.
WGN Radio broadcaster Ron Santo has been skipping many of the Cubs road trips lately in order to stay healthy. Santo is a 70 year old type 1 diabetic. Dave Otto will join Pat Hughes on the broadcasts in San Fran.
Carlos Zambrano will make his return to the rotation tonight. Big Z hasn't made a start since the late June game against the White Sox where he exploded in the dugout on his teammates and ended up suspended for three games and then placed on the restricted list. Since then, Zambrano has undergone treatment from doctors, minor league rehab outings, three big league relief appearances, and is finally set to return to the rotation.
Both teams are expected to have their regular catchers back in the lineup on Monday. Buster Posey of the Giants received Sunday's game off but did pinch hit in the 9th. Geovany Soto missed the games on Saturday and Sunday due to a mild ligament sprain in his right shoulder.
Game 1: Monday at 9:15 CT
Cubs Starting Pitcher: Carlos Zambrano, RHP (3-6, 5.61 ERA)
Giants Starting Pitcher: Madison Bumgarner, LHP (4-4, 3.20 ERA)
TV/Radio: CSN+/WGN Radio
Game 2: Tuesday at 9:15 CT
Cubs Starting Pitcher: Ryan Dempster, RHP (9-8, 3.76 ERA)
Giants Starting Pitcher: Tim Lincecum, RHP (11-5, 3.15 ERA)
TV/Radio: WGN-TV/WGN Radio
Game 3: Wednesday at 9:15 CT
Cubs Starting Pitcher: Tom Gorzelanny, LHP (6-6, 3.51 ERA)
Giants Starting Pitcher: Barry Zito, LHP (8-6, 3.35 ERA)
TV/Radio: CSN/WGN Radio
Game 4: Thursday at 2:45 CT
Cubs Starting Pitcher: Randy Wells, RHP (10-5, 4.37 ERA)
Giants Starting Pitcher: Matt Cain, RHP (9-9, 3.06 ERA)
TV/Radio: WGN-TV/WGN Radio
Have the Cubs hit rock bottom yet?
Let's play the role of spoilers!
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