Thanks to back tightness that popped up last week and wouldn’t shake loose over the weekend, Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo is officially headed to the disabled list.
Because his 10-day stint is backdated to Friday, Rizzo will have to spend only six more days on the DL before he’d be eligible to return. That means he’ll be eligible to return next Monday, when the Cubs begin a series against the Cardinals at Wrigley Field. Hopefully he’ll be able to do that.
In his absence, you can expect to see more of Victor Caratini at first base, but also Ben Zobrist, who was slated to start there yesterday (and presumably will still be there today for the makeup game). No corresponding roster move has been announced, and the Iowa Cubs were rained out yesterday, so we can’t look to their game (early removals) for clues on who might be coming up. The Cubs have room on the 40-man roster to add someone who isn’t already on the 40-man, which means a guy like Ryan Court or Mike Freeman or Chris Gimenez or Chris Coghlan (if he’s ready yet) could easily be added. If the Cubs opt to stay with guys on the 40-man, they could go with Mark Zagunis or David Bote.
The Cubs bullpen is well-rested and eight deep, so I tend to doubt the Cubs would go with another pitcher at this point. Whatever the plan, the corresponding move will be announced before today’s game.