Chicago Cubs still undecided on Saturday's starter
The Cubs are looking at all options for a starting pitcher for Saturday night's game at St. Louis.
They remain hopeful lefty Tsuyoshi Wada can go, but he's still iffy after suffering from cramping in his deltoid muscle during Monday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Wada lasted just 2 innings.
Left-hander Travis Wood, who relieved Wada and got the victory, is an obvious choice to start. Wood opened the season in the rotation.
The Cubs also will assess their options at Class AAA Iowa, where Donn Roach is 7-1 with a 2.29 ERA. Dallas Beeler and Eric Jokisch both pitched for the Cubs last year. Beeler is 1-5 with a 7.35 ERA, Jokisch 3-3 and 4.40.
"There's still some soreness there," manager Joe Maddon said of Wada. "We're not prepared yet to say yes or no on the next start. We're going to wait, probably, just a little while longer to evaluate all that. He's better, but we want to be very certain about that.
"We've talked about some different options. I don't know that I can tell you everything on that. Just being honest. We look at the obvious kind of stuff, the guys that are here. There are a couple different directions we can go if he's unavailable."
Right-hander Jacob Turner, who appeared in eight games last year for the Cubs after being obtained from Miami, is not an option. He has been shut down after his right elbow flared up. Turner has been on the disabled list since March 27.
Injury updates:
Center fielder Dexter Fowler did not start for a second straight night as he recovers from a sprained left ankle, an injury he suffered Monday. Fowler was able to pinch hit Tuesday, and he walked in the 10th inning.
"It's just not wise to throw him out there yet," Joe Maddon said.
Left-handed reliever Zac Rosscup, who has been on the DL since June 17 with shoulder inflammation, has been with the Cubs, but he will head to Arizona on Friday when the team goes to St. Louis for a weekend series.
Infielder Javier Baez also is headed to Arizona as he gets set to rehab from a broken finger. He has been playing at Iowa.
What's the Happ?
Center fielder Ian Happ, the Cubs' first-round draft pick this year out of the University of Cincinnati, is off to a good start at short-season Class A Eugene. He went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and a stolen base Tuesday for the Emeralds.
Happ was 7-for-20 (.350) with 2 homers over his first five professional games. It's possible Happ could move up quickly, perhaps going to the Cubs' Class A Midwest League team in South Bend.
"That's always a possibility," Cubs President Theo Epstein said earlier this week. "With advanced college bats, we like to indoctrinate them into pro ball in short season and let them get comfortable and shake off some of the rust and move to their appropriate level once they get into the swing of things. He's doing a nice job."