Cubs lose Cashner, Wells for two weeks

Cubs general manager Jim Hendry got right to the point Wednesday morning at Wrigley Field.

“We’re going to have to go through some early-season adversity,” Hendry said.

One piece of news was expected. The other was not. But the Cubs will be without both their No. 4 and No. 5 starting pitchers for a few weeks.

Right-hander Andrew Cashner, who came out of Tuesday’s start against Arizona with tightness in his right shoulder, has a “mild” strain in the back of his right rotator cuff.

Righty Randy Wells, who won Monday, has a “slight” strain of his right forearm.

Both pitchers underwent MRIs and both will go on the disabled list. Neither is expected to pick up a ball for the next 10 days to two weeks.

To replace the two pitchers in the starting rotation, the Cubs will call up right-hander Casey Coleman from Class AAA Iowa. He will likely start Sunday’s game at Milwaukee. Left-hander James Russell, who is now pitching out of the bullpen, is a possibility to start next Tuesday at Houston.

The injuries will test the test the Cubs and manager Mike Quade in the early going. The Cubs’ starting first baseman, Carlos Pena, is also listed as day-to-day with a thumb injury

“It’s all right,” Quade said. “I feel bad for the two guys involved. I feel bad for Pena, as well, but he’ll obviously be back very soon. It’s part of the deal. We were counting on those guys, absolutely. Now I’m counting on them to rehab like a son of a gun and get back as quick as they can, get back quickly and healthy. They’ll be OK. It doesn’t sound serious to me.”

Cashner, 24, was sailing along Tuesday until the sixth inning, when he walked the Diamondbacks’ Willie Bloomquist with one out. Trainer Mark O’Neal came out to visit Cashner on the mound. The Cubs removed Cashner from the game and sent him for the MRI.

“Anytime you go get an MRI, you get nervous,” Cashner said. “I think I’ll be out for two weeks and go from there. A lot of positives came from yesterday. It could have been a lot worse. Those last two pitches I threw to Bloomquist, I just felt a lot more discomfort. Mark came out there, and I was honest with him.”

Cashner threw 72 pitches Tuesday. His radar-gun readings reached the mid-90s (hitting 97 mph) early in the game before settling in the low 90s later in the game.

Wells, the No. 4 starter, had the best spring of any starter on the staff. In Monday’s 4-1 victory over the Diamondbacks, he worked 6 innings, giving up 6 hits and 1 run.

He said he felt discomfort the next day. Even though elbow pain can be related to forearm problems, the Cubs said Wells’ elbow is not affected.

“It was feeling really good in camp,” he said. “I was in great shape when I got there. That last little tuneup start (in spring training), I felt a little soreness. I came in the next day and told the trainers about it and got some treatment.

“Warming up for my start the other day, I felt great. But after the game and kind of toward the middle, I felt a little uncomfortable and came in, and the plan was to see how I felt the next day. I came in yesterday, and it felt a little sore. I went and got it checked out.

“It’s really disappointing. It’s a big year for me. Obviously, you want to come in and get off to a great start. Result wise, it was pretty good the other day, but a little sloppy.”

Coleman pitched in 12 games for the Cubs last year, going 4-2 with a 4.11 ERA. He worked at least 6 innings in each of his final 7 starts. The Cubs sent him to Iowa at the end of spring training.

The Cubs talked about starting Russell when spring training opened, but he made only 1 start in the Cactus League. He pitched 1 Tuesday, suffering a blown save but getting the victory. He appeared in 57 games for the Cubs last year, all in relief.

Both Coleman and Russell are the sons of major-league pitchers.

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