NEWSLETTER
Getting tough for the Cubs to catch a break, unless it’s the break of a femur or something.
The Chicago Cubs placed Reed Johnson on the 15-day disabled list with continued back problems, retroactive to June 21. In a corresponding move, the team activated Ryan Freel from the disabled list. Unfortunately, it’s a downgrade.
Neither is an every day starter, but Johnson has been an excellent backup and sometime platoon-mate for Kosuke Fukudome. Freel, on the other hand, has shown very little to merit any kind of excitement. Even the bench kind of excitement.
“It hasn’t improved the last two days,” manager Lou Piniella said of the back spasms that surfaced during the Cubs‚ flight to Atlanta on Sunday night. “That leads our people to believe it will linger into next week. We can’t continue to play short.”
Johnson is hitting .268 with 16 RBI, but had been in a 3-for-20 slide. He hasn’t played since Saturday. CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.
I wouldn’t be terribly worried about Johnson. I doubt the Cubs are too eager to make a decision with regards to Andres Blanco, and with Freel ready to come back, DL’ing Johnson conveniently defers that decision.
