NEWSLETTER
When the Chicago Cubs announced their lineup earlier today, I was disappointed by the lack of Kris Bryant, who’s been eligible to come off the disabled list for a few days now, but hasn’t quite been healthy enough to return (shoulder). But we aren’t wholly without good news for the day.
After activating their closer, Brandon Morrow, about a week and a half ago, the Cubs bullpen is back to full strength (well, I guess minus Eddie Butler, who’s been out for most of the season, and Mike Montgomery, who’s current in the rotation). Anyway, Carl Edwards Jr. is BACK!
Today, the Cubs activated Edwards from the disabled list and optioned Dillon Maples back to AAA Iowa. The Cubs also activated Rob Zastryzny from the DL and optioned him back to Iowa, too.
After a dominating start to the season (2.88 ERA, 2.39 FIP), Edwards hit the 10-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation at the end of May and missed the entire month of June because of it. He’s since made three rehab appearances, wherein he was very wild and mostly ineffective, but was apparently healthy and ready enough for the Cubs to make the switch. Obviously, Edwards has more than proven he belongs at the back-end of a big league pen, so if his velocity is there and he looks/feels strong, there’s no reason not to get him back on the horse as soon as possible.
And to that end, given what we know about Joe Maddon, I would very much expect to see Edwards today – Maddon likes to rip the bandaid off. When guys are either promoted or returning from injury, they tend to get in there right away.
By the way, here’s the Cubs’ bullpen as of today, if you needed a re-set from all the shuffling:
Meanwhile, Edwards is taking Maples’ place on the active roster, who’s filled in and flashed brilliance at times, but is still not quite ready to be a mainstay just yet. Of corse as we’ve said, if Maples can get that fastball straightened out, his slider will cary him to the back of many great bullpens.
The Cubs are still a dominant starter, Yu Darvish, and former MVP, Kris Bryant, away from full strength, but they’re getting there, and the All-Star break is within sight.
