Tyler Colvin has morphed into Cubs' invisible man
Tyler Colvin has all but vanished from the Cubs' scene in September.
Whether he is in the plans at all for 2012 will be up to the new general manager.
The old general manager, Jim Hendry, traded right fielder Kosuke Fukudome to the Cleveland Indians on July 28 with the stated goal of getting playing time for Colvin, who was recalled from Class AAA Iowa that day.
Colvin played a lot in August, sitting out only two games.
But in September, Colvin already has six DNPs — to use an NBA term for “did not play” — and has made just 3 starts.
Cubs manager Mike Quade threw a curve into things Wednesday night as the Cubs faced Reds right-handed pitcher Johnny Cueto. Instead of going with hot-hitting Bryan LaHair or Colvin in right field, Quade went with the right-handed hitting Reed Johnson, citing Johnson's 5-for-13 lifetime stats against Cueto.
None of it worked. Johnson was 0-for-3, and the Reds roughed up Cubs starting pitcher Casey Coleman on the way to a 7-2 victory. Coleman fell to 2-8 as he lasted just 3⅔ innings, giving up 6 runs.
Offensively, the Cubs did little with Cueto (who left in the fourth with a lat strain) or the Cincinnati bullpen.
“We're going to try with the same group,” Quade told Keith Moreland on the WGN radio pregame show. “We've had some success against this guy. Hopefully, these guys will continue to do that.”
For Colvin, it's been a highly disappointing year after he hit 20 home runs during his rookie season last year. Colvin opened this year with the big-league club, but he was sent to the minor leagues twice before coming back when Hendry dealt Fukudome.
Any way you slice them, though, Colvin's 2010 numbers have not been good:
Ÿ Entering Wednesday, Colvin had a batting average/on-base/slugging line of .153/.209/.316 with 6 home runs, 20 RBI, 14 walks and 50 strikeouts. His pinch single in the seventh inning raised his batting average to .157.
Ÿ In August, Colvin went .205/.253/.462 with 4 homers, 8 RBI, 5 walks and 17 strikeouts.
Ÿ Since the all-star break, Colvin had a line of .198/.241/.416 on 20-for-101 hitting. He has 4 homers, 12 RBI, 6 walks and 26 strikeouts.
Since the arrival of LaHair from Class AAA Iowa on Sept. 2, Colvin's playing time has been cut into again. LaHair played first base at Iowa, but Carlos Pena continues to get playing time at first base while LaHair sees some time at first base while also playing right field and left field. LaHair helped himself by hitting in each of the eight games he has played.
Before Tuesday's game, Quade acknowledged that it would continue to be difficult for Colvin to find playing time.
“It's a day-to-day thing as far as picking a spot,” Quade told reporters. “I wish I could do justice in my mind to give him more than that. He got an opportunity right away, and I think he's been better. Different things take place, and sometimes you just can't say, ‘Here, it's yours,' because I don't think you do justice to the other guys who have earned an opportunity to play some. I think he understands that.
“(Colvin) will be in the lineup the next couple weeks, but Bryan has made it a lot tougher decision for me, and good for him.”
Any way you look at it, time appears to be running out on Colvin.