Matt Garza said “you better f–king believe it, dude,” when asked if he was going to pitch on Tuesday.
We shouldn’t have f–king believed it.
The Cubs have sent Garza back to Chicago for further evaluation after he experienced “stiffness” in his arm yesterday following his second straight day of throwing on Saturday. He’s not expected to need another MRI, but obviously any arm issues are cause for concern.
“It was pretty stiff today, so nothing major,” manager Dale Sveum said of the arm issue. “But he’s not going to be able to go on Tuesday. We’re going to back him off and send him home to see the doctor and just be a little more cautionary.”
Garza has been out since July 21 after he experienced some cramping in his triceps. Because he’ll now have been out so long, the Cubs will put him on the 15-day disabled list (there’s no reason not to). His replacement on the roster might well be his temporary replacement in the rotation.
As for who’ll take the ball on Tuesday – who will be that replacement – the Cubs could be in a difficult spot. The obvious candidates – AAA starters Casey Coleman, Chris Rusin, and Brooks Raley all started this weekend, and likely wouldn’t be available on Tuesday. The Cubs could go for a bullpen day, or could bring up one of the fringier pitchers at AAA.