Baez battling through rough start to career
Javier Baez went 0-for-4 with a strikeout for the Cubs in Saturday's 8-7 victory over the Dodgers at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs have been steadfast in sticking with Baez through thick and thin. In his first 45 major-league games, the 21-year-old shortstop-second baseman has a hitting line of .169/.228/.350 with 9 home runs, 18 RBI and 82 strikeouts in 183 at-bats.
"I think that getting him as many at-bats as we can possibly get him here right now for the rest of the season is the biggest teacher he's probably going to have," said manager Rick Renteria. "He knows he has to continue to make adjustments. He's taking, obviously, moderate steps. He's had some at-bats now where he's earned some walks. For the most part, I think his approach continues to improve a little bit at a time. But it'll serve him well, getting as many games as he can under his belt."
Baez seems to be handling the successes and the failures with an even demeanor.
"It's not that it doesn't bother him, but I think he's very focused on just being happy and being in the lineup every single day in the big leagues," Renteria said. "It's pretty good. His defense has been really, really good. I think he's having situations where he can separate and compartmentalize both sides of the ball. He's holding his own."
As for Arismendy ...:
Center fielder Arismendy Alcantara hit his 10th homer Saturday, a 3-run blast in the seventh inning that keyed a 4-run rally and brought the Cubs within 1 run of the Dodgers. Alcantara is batting .214, but in 63 games, he has 10 home runs in 252 at-bats.
"Just when you think nothing is going to happen, their skills sets kind of come into the picture," Rick Renteria said. "He hits that ball with such ease ... great hand strength. All of these young men have really good skill sets, exceptional skill sets."
Rotation roulette:
Jacob Turner will pitch Sunday against the Dodgers, and the Cubs have adjusted their rotation to give rookie Kyle Hendricks 2 more starts.
Travis Wood will start Monday night's series opener against the Cardinals at Wrigley Field. He'll be followed by Hendricks and Jake Arrieta.
Monday will be Wood's final start of the season. Hendricks will start the last game of the season, Sept. 28 at Milwaukee.
The Cubs still have beleaguered right-hander Edwin Jackson penciled in to start one of the three games against the Brewers. Jackson lasted only two-thirds of an inning Friday. He had been on the disabled list for a month with a right-lat strain.
This and that:
Catcher Welington Castillo missed Saturday's game and is day to day with a bruised left rib, suffered in Friday's game. An MRI confirmed the Cubs' original diagnosis.
John Baker started Saturday, and with the roster expanded, the Cubs have a third catcher in Rafael Lopez. ... The Dodgers will start Jamey Wright instead of Dan Haren in Sunday's finale.