I don't have details or a link yet, but in case you were wondering about today's roster move to activate Carlos Zambrano, Rich Harden has been placed on the 15-day DL (retroactive to May 18) with what is being termed a "mid-back strain".
Details to follow.
0 recs | 94 comments
didn't see that coming
mrtobby - May 22, 2009
oh, wonderful
At least it’s not his arm.
elgato - May 22, 2009
Really?
You really believe this isn’t arm related? Seriously?
krummy12 - May 22, 2009
Jesus
When it rains, It POURS
Galvan316 - May 22, 2009
Any word
Any word on how long he’ll be out?
puckishcubsfan - May 22, 2009
I don't have any more details about Harden, but...
… Randy Wells will start in his place tomorrow night.
Al Yellon - May 22, 2009
i think we ought to get used to
randy wells starting.
starting pitchers get hurt. he’s our #6.
and he’s cheap, so ricketts will be interested in him getting a shot in 2010. no breaking news on that, but it makes sense to me.
tim815 - May 22, 2009
Wells has done a good job so far.
If he keeps it up, we haven’t lost anything with this DL move.
Al Yellon - May 22, 2009
well, that depends on how you look at it
Wells could have gone to the pen and made our relief pitching stronger.
Now, he won’t. At least, not in the short term.
elgato - May 22, 2009
wells has looked god in two starts
but not dominant, which Harden can be and often is
DC Cubbie - May 22, 2009
Wells is a god?
Al Yellon - May 22, 2009
Yeah, but it's a little 'g' god.
Like the god of biscuts, or the god of 12AX7 tubes.
znohitter - May 22, 2009
mmmm...
12AX7…
MN exile - May 22, 2009
That 12AX7 god...
….is really a good one. A little temperamental at times, but WAY more fun that the god of NPN CMOS transistors!
CaughtInTheVines - May 22, 2009
How
Do you know that Ricketts will be interested in getting him a shot in 2010?
Galvan316 - May 22, 2009
okay, will probably
harden, iirc, is a free agent.
ricketts will want to limit the amount spent on huge contracts.
it is a short leap to….. harden probably won’t be back.
if wells is a decent #4 option, look for harden and marshall (or someone else that is inexpensive) hooking up with lilly, z, and demp.
tim815 - May 22, 2009
Too early for contract talk
imho.
eswan9 - May 22, 2009
That means the season is over
of course.
eswan9 - May 22, 2009
i'm always looking years ahead
it’s just how i am in pretty much everything
tim815 - May 22, 2009
Well
he was gonna go down at some point.
Could’ve been worse news.
Allie - May 22, 2009
I bet DeRosa could've started if we had him.
santoswoodenlegs - May 22, 2009
So obviously this means one thing....
PEAVY!
Galvan316 - May 22, 2009
GAH!
No.
Al Yellon - May 22, 2009
LOL
That was exactly the reaction I was looking for. Lol
Galvan316 - May 22, 2009
Glad to help!
Al Yellon - May 22, 2009
Clearly
This trip to San Diego is just so that Jim can save on the airfare.
Hilary Lee - May 22, 2009
Oh obviously
I mean its almost like MLB (Whose schedule was printed out months and months ago) Knew this scenario was going to happen.
Its clearly obvious that Peavy will be dealt to the Cubs and most likely in time for the start of this game too.
Obviously
Galvan316 - May 22, 2009
See?
It’s so easy when you think about it for a minute! ;)
Hilary Lee - May 22, 2009
Exactly!
Galvan316 - May 22, 2009
Imagine the excitement
The deal is announced before the first pitch. . . Peavy trots off the mound into the Cubs dugout, changes in the clubhouse, and re-emerges to start for us.
Disney channel.
leothelip - May 22, 2009
Mine was
“Ugh! NO!”
But Gah will suffice.
Allie - May 22, 2009
beautiful!
LOL, I do what I can around here.
Galvan316 - May 22, 2009
Awesome. Now Patton gets to carry the pink backpack for at least 2 more weeks.
(and they might be all he does the next 2 weeks)
carmen_fanzone - May 22, 2009
they=that...
carmen_fanzone - May 22, 2009
santoswoodenlegs - May 22, 2009
Ah, proper conjugation is so important in Starfleet.
znohitter - May 22, 2009
Is Jason Marquis available?
slocs55 - May 22, 2009
Sure trade Patton for him.
eswan9 - May 22, 2009
Better now
then in Oct.
sue369 - May 22, 2009
at this pace we will be off for six months come november
DC Cubbie - May 22, 2009
Somehow I highly doubt the Cubs will be playing in October
bluekoolaide - May 22, 2009
Let's wait a little while
before we say that, eh? What would you have said in mid-June 2007?
Not Bruce Froemming - May 22, 2009
It's too early to write the Cubs off
But the injuries make a surge like the one we saw after mid-June 2007 less likely.
elgato - May 22, 2009
Why?
It’s late May. Still got almost a month.
Not Bruce Froemming - May 22, 2009
Ramirez won't be back until July, though
And the team has generally been more banged up.
I think we’re all agreed that this is when the team needs to show what it’s made of.
elgato - May 22, 2009
I think the injuries in April and May....
make the surge in June and July more likely. I rather be healthy before August than break down when it matters most. If everyone thinks that Suppan, Looper, Parra, Bush are gonna take the BrewCrew to the promise land for the whole 162 stretch, you are kidding yourself. Now, they might go out and buy a stud to partner up with Gallardo, but even he looked pretty human the other night in Houston.
The Cubs had injuries when injuries are supposed to happen. This team will look a lot different in a month or two. With Rami back, and I am guessing a few added parts here and there, the Cubs will be fine.
We lost our #1 starter and our best run producer and we have the 4th or 5th best record in the NL. I will take that.
louslovechild - May 22, 2009
Can you really get injuries "out of the way"?
I don’t know if it works like that. Isn’t it just as likely that guys will have nagging injuries that don’t completely heal until the offseason?
elgato - May 22, 2009
If Lou handles it correctly
We have some pretty soft players. Lee, who never seemed to be, is very achey lately. Bradley and Soriano or an accident waiting to happen. For the most part, our pitching has held up health wise. That is more important than anything. Harden’s injury is BS. They are resting him, now that we have Wells in the wings and Zambrano back.
louslovechild - May 22, 2009
Right.
This is better than losing a starting pitcher and having only Les Walrond to replace him./
Al Yellon - May 22, 2009
I forgot about him
Haha. Could they be looking for an opportunity to showcase Wells? I am of the opinion that we don’t really need much, other than infield help. But from everyone I listen to, Levine, Kurkjian, Gammons, Stark, the Cubs have $0.00 to spend. Nothing. So showcasing Wells might not be even close to right.
louslovechild - May 22, 2009
Why are we such a bunch of quitters this year? Dang. It's not even June yet.
santoswoodenlegs - May 22, 2009
no kidding.
sue369 - May 22, 2009
hard not to be pessimistic
After last year’s playoff collapse. But, yes, it is too early to write the season off.
elgato - May 22, 2009
true
bring on the June Swoon
SARCASM!!!
Cubbie-Tim - May 22, 2009
You keep thinking
like that. I’m not a negative thinker so I’m looking for a turn around.
sue369 - May 22, 2009
ahhh
so you are a butt lover
:-)
Cubbie-Tim - May 22, 2009
I dunno man…. Lets change the Subject
Galvan316 - May 22, 2009
wel,l she did say
Cubbie-Tim - May 22, 2009
gah,
didn’t mean it the way you took it. :P
sue369 - May 22, 2009
i know
was being a smart a$$
Cubbie-Tim - May 22, 2009
I knew that :D
sue369 - May 22, 2009
WTF? Where did this come from?
Ugh… when it rains, it pours.
kanderber - May 22, 2009
And in other news
water is wet.
jerry morales rules - May 22, 2009
if he misses the minimum
It may not be that bad. It gives him a week and a half to rest his arm so he can hopefully pitch for a while without being gassed.
MJMars - May 22, 2009
Well, they said they'd give him plenty of rest
And he really hadn’t had that opportunity this year. So now he’ll have it.
Not Bruce Froemming - May 22, 2009
Plus he timed it perfectly w/ Z coming off the DL!
(yeah, I’m reaching….)
carmen_fanzone - May 22, 2009
He must have strained it trying to CARRY this floundering offense.
santoswoodenlegs - May 22, 2009
and he didnt even bunt to get on the DL
slacker
Cubbie-Tim - May 22, 2009
I dont think this is a big deal
Wells, who has been pretty good gets to stay this way, and Harden will get to skip a start or two. His arm slot has been off, so says Harden, and perhaps his back is the reason. Wells gets to pitch tomorrow I am guessing, and a guy who hasnt given up a run in 12 innings isnt a bad fill in.
louslovechild - May 22, 2009
Exactly.
It will, in fact, be Wells.
Al Yellon - May 22, 2009
I sometimes think they make up these injuries
They said they would give Harden some rest and since Wells has been pitching well they figure this way they can keep him pitching, otherwise he would have to be sent down.
tucsoncubsfan - May 22, 2009
Certainly looks that way...
carmen_fanzone - May 22, 2009
I was thinking the same thing
while reading this post. We have to keep Harden fresh for October. And YES, we WILL be playing in OCTOBER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
muehlman - May 22, 2009
and I'm not talking about the 4 regular season games
muehlman - May 22, 2009
Not if they don't starting winning
more consistantly.
We can’t take the division for granted this year, everyone is much improved so far.
I’m not giving up. I know there is a lot of ball left to be played. But these games lately are the ones we’ve looked back on in late Sept with “if only”thoughts before. And I don’t wanna do it again. So I hope Lou is giving out kicks in the ass.
Allie - May 22, 2009
They will. Please believe. They will
muehlman - May 22, 2009
Good Thing Harden
Has AFLAC!
Galvan316 - May 22, 2009
ha
sue369 - May 22, 2009
Does this take care of the
“Can we Woody Harden” idea?
Cubbie-Tim - May 22, 2009
Yikes
I’m guessing this is just a way to rest harden and not have to dump a player. Still at some point the cubs need to stop counting on injury prone pitchers. After hardens contract ends I hope we send him away.
nji232 - May 22, 2009
My thoughts exactly
I think it’s simply that Wells has been very good since called up and they don’t want to send down him or Scales/Freel so put Harden on the DL with a somewhat phantom injury and let him get some extra time between starts. Wells gets an extra start or two before moving to the pen.
Another thought is it possible that this is just to get an extended look at Wells to evaluate our future rotation/pen options or to audition him?
CHCOWNTHECENTRAL - May 22, 2009
Regular season baseball shouldn't be audition time with the cubs
That being said, I think we are seeing a bit of that.
nji232 - May 22, 2009
I must be dense or something because I see this as terrible news
How can you be “happy” about losing a pitcher and trusting a kid who’s thrown only 18+ innings? There must be a language barrier here because I’m at a loss.
chilango2 - May 22, 2009
because it's 15 days, retroactive last Monday, and his arm was going to need...
carmen_fanzone - May 22, 2009
some rest at some point anyway....
Plus, Wells has been good, lack of experience or not.
carmen_fanzone - May 22, 2009
I'm only "happy"
because when I saw “breaking news” i assumed it would be even worse.
This is bearable and not even a surprise.
Allie - May 22, 2009
Sure, OK
I agree with this assumption.
chilango2 - May 22, 2009
Breaking News
Today, scientists visited BCB and discovered a substance harder than any previously known to man, a Cubs fan’s optimism. While theoretically intangible, scientists hope to one day harness the optimism into a viable, tangible material.
Poor jokes aside, pitching hasn’t been the problem, it’s been the inconsistent, feast or famine offense that has hurt this team, so this really isn’t a huge deal, IMO.
CubsFan87 - May 22, 2009
In fact harden has been very inconsistant recently
So his pitching hasn’t helped as much.
nji232 - May 22, 2009
DTJchris - May 22, 2009
Hawks ahead 2-0
sue369 - May 22, 2009
i made a thread
but no one is talking there
Cubbie-Tim - May 22, 2009
I blame Judd.
Also, mlb.com article here.
znohitter - May 22, 2009
This makes me very sad.
Squeaky - May 23, 2009
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of Bleed Cubbie Blue to post a comment.