The Chicago Cubs placed reliever Angel Guzman on the 15-day disabled list with muscle soreness, just a day after he looked excellent pitching a couple innings in a 13-inning Cubs win.
Guzman might have needed only a week to recuperate, but with rain outs costing them their scheduled off day today, the Cubs opted to recall righthander Kevin Hart from Class AAA Iowa, putting Guzman on the 15-day disabled list. CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.
Kevin Hart’s been dyno-mite in the last couple of weeks for Iowa, but it’s been as a starter. As a reliever with the Cubs, he’s been so-so.
Guzman had been experiencing soreness in the muscle since pitching Wednesday, and manager Lou Piniella’s plan was to avoid using him until at least today. But Saturday’s 13-inning contest against Cleveland forced Guzman into action, the righthander pitching two scoreless innings.
“We thought there was a chance,” Piniella said of Guzman being set back. “We brought up Hart just in case, and when Guzman came in this morning, [his arm] was real tight. He’d probably be able to go in five days, but with 22 games in a row, we don’t have that luxury.
Understandable move, but a shame to be certain. Guzman has been the Cubs’ best reliever, sporting a 2.53 ERA and a K:BB ratio approaching 3:1.