Chicago Cubs giving La Stella time to 'process' things
The Chicago Cubs optioned infielder Tommy La Stella to Class AAA Iowa on July 29, but La Stella still has not reported to the minor-league club.
Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said Tuesday that La Stella has been placed on the temporarily inactive list as he tries to sort through the frustration of being sent to the minor leagues during a Cubs roster crunch.
La Stella has minor-league options and can be sent to the minor leagues without the Cubs taking the risk of losing him to another team. He was sent down when the Cubs activated outfielder Chris Coghlan from the disabled list.
Coghlan is out of options, meaning he'd have to pass through waivers before the Cubs could outright him to the minor leagues. The Cubs did not want to take the chance of losing Coghlan.
La Stella, batting .295 at the time of his demotion, spoke with ESPN Chicago on Tuesday and said he would rather retire than play for another club.
"There wasn't much more that went into it than, 'This is where I want to be,' " La Stella told ESPN. "It was as simple as that. It didn't feel right to me to go be somewhere else just to continue playing. That's not what my thoughts center around, being a ballplayer and making it happen anyway possible. We all have a right to dictate what we do to some extent.
"It had nothing to do with trying to leverage anything. It was just where I was in my life and my career. It was an obvious decision for me. There was no other consideration."
Hoyer addressed the situation on the field before Tuesday night's 5-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.
"I would say that I think it's somewhat deeper than just a level of frustration," Hoyer said. "He's healthy. There's no family issues or anything like that."
Both Hoyer and Cubs manager Joe Maddon say they have been in touch with La Stella, as has sports psychologist Ken Ravizza, who works with the team.
"We had a ton of conversations with him, Joe and the front office," Hoyer said. "Ultimately we decided to give him time. He's a 27-year-old kid. He's working through some stuff. We're trying to give him time to work through those things. We've had a lot of contact with him. We'll continue to do that."
Hoyer said the Cubs are not considering cutting ties with La Stella but that the player would need minor-league at-bats before could return to the big-league club.
Some players said they have exchanged texts with La Stella.
"I don't know if anybody would have said they saw that coming," outfielder Jason Heyward said. "But at the same time, somebody's got to be at peace with what they're doing. "Whatever it is you're doing, whatever decisions you make, you've got to be at peace with it."
Heyward also said there would be no problem welcoming La Stella back into the fold.
"Anybody that comes through this door, we're happy to have, especially someone like himself, who contributes so much, even on the days he wasn't playing," Heyward said.
Rondon sore:
Former closer and current setup man Hector Rondon has not pitched since Aug. 2. Joe Maddon said Rondon has a sore triceps.
"It's not an issue, but I feel a little tired and tight, too," Rondon said. "I'm prepared to do my training, and we'll see how I feel (Wednesday).'
Hammel back, Grimm out:
The Cubs on Tuesday activated pitcher Jason Hammel off the bereavement list and optioned reliever Justin Grimm to Class AAA Iowa. Hammel, who will start Wednesday night, went on the bereavement list last Wednesday to take care of a family situation.