Cubs place Caridad on DL, call up Stevens from Iowa

The Cubs made yet another bullpen move Wednesday.

For the second time this season, they placed right-handed reliever Esmailin Caridad on the disabled list, this time with a strained right elbow. To take Caridad's place, they recalled righty Jeff Stevens from Class AAA Iowa. In mid-April, the Cubs put Caridad on the DL with a right-forearm strain.

Caridad faced one batter in Tuesday night's game against the Rockies at Wrigley Field and walked him. In 8 appearances this season, Caridad was 0-1 with an 11.25 ERA, having given up 4 hits and 5 walks in 4 innings.

Stevens, 26, was 0-0 with a 2.60 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP in 12 games at Iowa. He worked 171/3 innings giving up 11 hits and 5 runs with 10 walks and 21 strikeouts.

There had been talk the Cubs would look to recall right-handed prospect Jay Jackson, who has moved from Iowa's rotation to the bullpen. But they went with Stevens, who pitched in 11 games for the Cubs last year after coming from Cleveland in the Mark DeRosa trade.

"Stevens is throwing the ball well, and he deserves an opportunity," assistant general manager Randy Bush told reporters in Philadelphia.

Cubs people say Stevens' slider has been working well.

Howry update: The Cubs denied a published report that they have signed reliever Bob Howry, recently released by Arizona. Howry pitched for the Cubs from 2006-08, and the team does have interest in him.

Howry was 1-0 with a 10.67 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP with the D'backs this year. If the Cubs do sign him, they'd see him as a sixth- or seventh-inning pitcher and not as an eighth-inning setup man. They also like they way he works with younger pitchers.