The Cubs will likely make a decision on Kerry Wood later today according to a report from Bruce Miles. Wood will see a hand specialist in Chicago on Thursday and Miles thought the Cubs would put Wood on the DL on Wednesday. If Wood ends up making his 12th trip to the disabled list, the Cubs could call-up Jeff Samardzija to take his place in the pen according to Miles. Miles asked Randy Bush about the possibility of Samardzija making his big league debut out of the Cubs’ pen and Bush said it was “conceivable“. The Cubs would use Samardzija as a reliever, but not as a closer.
After a questionable promotion to the Iowa Cubs earlier this season (3-5 with a 4.86 ERA in 76 innings for Double-A Tennessee), Samardzija has been very good at the Triple-A level. In 6 starts for the I-Cubs, Samardzija is 4-1 with a 3.13 ERA in 37 1/3 innings with 40 strikeouts and 16 walks….he also recorded a 7-inning complete game.
Jeff Samardzija is on the Cubs 40-man roster after he signed a Major League contract on the first day of the Cubs Convention in January of 2007.