Injury updates good news for Cubs
The Cubs got what they felt was the best possible news on several medical fronts Tuesday. To wit:
Ÿ Pitcher Matt Garza went on the disabled list with a bone bruise on his right elbow. General manager Jim Hendry said there is no ligament damage. The DL assignment was backdated to May 18, and the Cubs hope Garza can pitch sometime in the series at St. Louis, June 3-5.
Ÿ No. 5 starter Andrew Cashner saw Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles on Monday, and Hendry said Yocum confirmed the Cubs’ diagnosis of a strained right rotator cuff. Although the Cubs had to shut down Cashner’s rehab because of discomfort, Hendry said surgery is not needed and that there is no further damage. Cashner, though, is back to Square One with is rehab.
Ÿ Catcher Geovany Soto will play in an extended spring-training game Wednesday in Arizona and then join the Cubs’ Class AA Tennessee team for two rehab games. He’ll rejoin the Cubs this weekend for the Pirates series. Soto has been on the DL since May 11 with a strained left groin.
Ÿ Pitcher Randy Wells rejoined the Cubs after 2 minor-league rehab starts. He’ll come off the DL Saturday and start against the Pirates after Doug Davis works Friday. Wells has been on the DL since April 8 with a strained right forearm.
Ÿ Center fielder Marlon Byrd is “making solid progress” after being hit in the face with a pitch in Boston and suffering multiple facial fractures. Because of the bruising and fractures, Byrd won’t be able to do much activity for the next two weeks. He saw a specialist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and will continue to see specialists during his recovery.
As for Garza, he said he wasn’t happy about going on the DL.
“I fought it; it’s not like I chose to do it,” Garza said. “The team and everybody above me feels it’s the best thing to do, and I’m going to trust their advice and go with it. I’m not going to put myself in bigger jeopardy. We were happy that it was just a bruise. It could have been worse.”
Long journey home:
To take Matt Garza’s roster spot, the Cubs selected the contract of outfielder Lou Montanez from Class AAA Iowa. The Cubs originally selected Montanez in the first round of the 2000 draft as a shortstop. He appeared in 93 games for Baltimore over the past three seasons and said he “reached out” to the Cubs about coming back this past winter.
Montanez signed a minor-league deal and went to spring training as a nonroster man. At Iowa, he batted .369 with 11 doubles, 3 triples and 5 homers.
“Let’s be specific, 11 (years),” Montanez said of finally making it to the Cubs. “It feels good. It’s been a long journey, but it actually feels fairly quick when you’re enjoying yourself, when you’re playing ball. But I’m happy to be here. It’s one of the top achievements in my career.”
Well worth it:
Cubs reliever Kerry Wood was fined by Major League Baseball for hitting Boston’s Jed Lowrie with a pitch Sunday. The pitch was in apparent retaliation for Boston’s Alfredo Aceves hitting Marlon Byrd in the face Saturday, giving Byrd multiple facial fractures.
The Cubs’ Carlos Zambrano hit Kevin Youkilis on Saturday. Both Lowrie and Youkilis seemed to know the protocol, as each dropped his bat and headed to first base without incident. Neither Wood nor Zambrano threw at the heads of the opposing batters.