For Cubs’ Rizzo, it’s wrist soreness, not call-up

When Cubs prospect Anthony Rizzo makes a move, the whole world knows about it. And tweets about it.

No sooner had Rizzo come out of Sunday night’s game at Memphis for the Cubs’ Class AAA Iowa affiliate than the speculation started: The Cubs were getting set to call him up.

Not so fast. In fact, all of Cubdom seemed to react to a Twitter mention of Rizzo’s early exit, a tweet by the Iowa club itself.

It turns out Rizzo experienced some soreness in his right wrist, and he left to have it checked out. Initial X-rays proved negative, and the Cubs will take it day by day.

Cubs president Theo Epstein could only laugh about the reaction to Rizzo’s departure from the game.

“I’ll concern myself with Cubs standards,” he said. “It’s hard to also worry about journalistic standards sometimes or whatever happened. I guess it was our fault, too, or our affiliate’s fault.

“It happens. I understand it. It’s part of the modern world. Things happen now that didn’t happen 10 years ago because of technology and you’re always going to have to adjust to it.”

All humor aside, the status remains quo with the Cubs on Rizzo. They maintain they will not rush him to the big leagues, even with a team whose offense has struggled most of the year. At Iowa, Rizzo has a hitting line of. 354/.415/.713 with 17 home runs and 46 RBI.

“We’re not bringing him up here as a changer of our fortunes,” said general manager Jed Hoyer, who admitted to rushing Rizzo last year when both were with San Diego. “That’s not fair to him.”

There has been talk the Cubs might bring Rizzo up for games at Minnesota and at U.S. Cellular Field, where the Cubs can use a designated hitter at American League ballparks.

“We’re going to wait until the time is right, with his development being the primary factor,” Epstein said. “We’re waiting for an update today. He came out of that game. He swung and missed and felt some soreness in his wrist.

“He saw a doctor in Memphis and had an initial X-ray, which was clean. But we’re going to get a further update today.”

Rizzo did not play Monday in Iowa’s 8-2 victory at Memphis, and there was no further word from the Cubs on his condition.