His short outing at AAA yesterday was indeed the tea leaf to read – Doug Davis will start on Saturday for the Chicago Cubs, the first day in a week and a half that they need a fifth starter. Davis, 35, hasn’t pitched in the bigs since mid-2010, and he wasn’t particularly good that year – going just 1-4 with a 7.51 ERA. He was dealing with shoulder issues and a heart problem at the time, however, both of which he is reportedly over.
Reports say Davis looks good, even if he was never a dominating starter even during his best days. He had a few successful minor league outings, and he’ll probably give the Cubs a chance to win on Saturday. A chance.
The most important takeaway: there’s is zero chance this is not a better decision than going with James Russell again. I was critical of the Cubs for poor planning with respect to Davis’ schedule, so I commend them for righting that wrong.
I do not, however, absolve the team of subjecting us to four (*FOUR*) James Russell starts.