Edwin Jackson has quietly gone about his business in his new relief role with the Cubs. Jackson has appeared in three games for the Cubs season. Jackson has given up two hits with no walks and three strikeouts in five scoreless innings. Jackson kept the Pirates off the board Tuesday night to set the stage for the ninth inning comeback.
Joe Maddon said Wednesday that Jackson could be “used in tougher situations in games.” Maddon explained, “I think Jackson has earned the right or opportunity to pitch in more opportune moments or more difficult moments for him.”
Due to the fact Jackson has been a starting pitcher for a majority of his career, he takes a little longer to get hot than the other relievers in the pen. Jackson will probably start innings and not be called upon in the middle of an inning.
Joe Maddon said Brian Schlitter and Jason Motte will still be used.
Justin Grimm and Neil Ramirez are rehabbing their shoulder injuries at the Cubs facility in Mesa. And Grimm completed another bullpen session on Wednesday.
The Cubs have not provided a timetable on when Grimm and Ramirez will return.
The injuries are starting to pile up for the Cubs and have zapped the team’s depth.
Tsuyoshi Wada
LHP Tsuyoshi Wada completed his second rehab start Wednesday with the Iowa Cubs. Wada allowed two runs on six hits with four walks and five strikeouts. Wada threw 89 pitches, 54 for strikes, over 5 1/3 innings.
Over two starts with Iowa, Wada has allowed three runs on 10 hits with six walks and 11 strikeouts in 10 innings (2.70 ERA, 1.60 WHIP).
With all of the pitching injuries the Cubs are dealing with, it’s good to see Wada complete another outing. Tsuyoshi Wada was sent on a rehab assignment on April 17. Wada can be on a rehab assignment for 30 days.
The Des Moines Register spoke with Wada through a translator after Wednesday’s start. Wada does not know where he will be pitching next. Tsuyoshi Wada said if it’s for the Cubs he will be ready.
Kris Bryant
Kris Bryant was in the middle of everything Wednesday night. Bryant reached base two more times, scored two runs and just missed his first home run. Bryant started the game at third base but due to Dexter Fowler leaving the game early and Joe Maddon pinch hitting for Chris Coghlan, Bryant finished the game in center field. And if the Cubs would have tied the game in the ninth, Bryant would have played first base.
Joe Maddon had to move Bryant to the outfield in the eighth. Bryant told Dave Martinez that he would prefer to play center because of the hooks. Bryant played some center field in college (five games) and felt more comfortable there late in the game instead of in left field.
Kris Bryant likes playing center and said he had fun in the outfield Wednesday night.
- Full Report from Comcast SportsNet
- Full Report from ESPN Chicago
Dexter Fowler
Dexter Fowler was lifted in the third inning of Wednesday night’s game for precautionary reasons and was replaced by Chris Denorfia. Fowler left the game with tightness in his right groin.
According to a report from Carrie Muskat, he injured himself on the bunt single to start the game. Fowler told the beat writers after the game he felt better. Fowler is not sure if he will be able to play Thursday.
Dexter Fowler is listed as day to day.
News, Notes and Rumors
• LHP Eric Jokisch was placed on the 7-day DL on Wednesday retroactive to April 19 due to a blister on his pitching hand. INF/OF Arismendy Alcantara was activated and took Jokisch’s spot on the I-Cubs roster.
• FanGraphs posted a detailed report about the remarkable double to right center Kris Bryant hit off Francisco Liriano on Tuesday night. Excellent read and well worth the time.
• Joe Maddon doesn’t think pitchers are targeting Anthony Rizzo according to a report from Comcast SportsNet. Rizzo owns the Cubs record for getting hit by a pitch in April. Rizzo has been hit six times. Maddon obviously doesn’t want to see Rizzo get hurt and suggested that he wear a guard or padding on his arm, like “a Barry Bonds autographed elbow pad.” Maddon told the Sun-Times he thinks “Wal-Mart is selling them right now very inexpensively.”
• Cubs’ clubhouse leader David Ross has watched Starlin Castro take his game to another level according to the Sun-Times.
• Calling up Kris Bryant and Addison Russell could boost the Cubs ticket sales according to Danny Ecker.
And last, but not least, the Cubs were the last team in the big leagues to give up an unearned run on the season. Starlin Castro committed the error in the third that allowed Andrew McCutchen to reach. McCutchen scored the Pirates third run. The Cubs led the National League with 71 unearned runs allowed last season.
This Day In Cubstory
2008 – Cubs became the second franchise in the history of the game to win 10,000 games. Lou Piniella’s Cubs beat the Rockies in 10 innings at Coors Field, 7-6. The Cubs improved to 10,000-9,465 over the 122 years of the franchise. Ryan Theriot drove in Geovany Soto with the winning run. After failing to pick up the save, Kerry Wood was the winning pitcher and Carlos Marmol earned the save.
2005 – Cubs signed free agent Mike Moriarty
1999 – Cubs released Hideo Nomo
1985 – Emilio Bonifacio, born
1984 – Cubs acquired Paul Noce from the Padres for Terry Austin
1983 – Fernando Perez, born
1979 – Carlos Silva, born
1970 – Cubs signed free agent Steve Barber
1968 – Cubs traded Jim Ellis and Ted Savage to the Dodgers for Jim Hickman and Phil Regan
1966 – Ferguson Jenkins hit his first Major League homer off Don Sutton and drives in another run in a 2-0 win over the Dodgers. Jenkins handed Sutton the first of what would be 13 straight losses to the Cubs.
1966 – Phillies purchased Harvey Kuenn from the Cubs
1948 – Cardinals selected Larry Miggins off waivers from the Cubs
1940 – Cubs returned Dick Bass to the Washington Senators
1924 – On WMAQ, Hal Trotten, a Chicago Daily News play-by-play reporter, provided a play-by-play radio report of the Cubs 12-1 victory over the Cardinals. It was the first broadcast of every Cubs and White Sox home games of the season, marked the first time a team’s games have been on the airwaves on a regular basis.
1914 – Weeghman Park opened at the corner of Clark and Addison. What is now known as Wrigley Field was the home of the Chicago Whales of the Federal League. The Chi Feds beat the Packers 9-1. Art Wilson hit two home runs for the Whales, the first player to homer at Wrigley Field.
1907 – Dolph Camilli, born
1906 – Ray Starr, born
1900 – Joe Kelly, born