Cubs pitchers Steele, Sampson will skip Toronto trip
MILWAUKEE - Two Cubs players will not be making the trip to Toronto for the upcoming three-game series, manager David Ross said Sunday.
They are starting pitchers Adrian Sampson and Justin Steele, which minimizes the impact on the Cubs' roster. Sampson started Sunday in Milwaukee, so he wasn't going to face the Blue Jays anyway.
Steele's turn in the rotation would have been Wednesday in Toronto, but he said after Sunday's game he likely would have delayed his start anyway because of a back issue that cut his last outing short Friday. He said the back is feeling better and starting Friday's opener in St. Louis is a possibility.
The plan is for rookie Javier Assad to get his second major-league start Monday, followed by former Blue Jay Marcus Stroman. The starter for Wednesday is to be determined. Luke Farrell, who threw well in his Cubs debut last Wednesday, went 2 2/3 innings in relief on Sunday.
Players who are not fully vaccinated for COVID are not able to enter Canada. Both Sampson and Steele said it was a personal decision not to get the vaccine.
This is still an interesting contrast to last season when the Cubs never got to the 85% vaccinated threshold needed to ease some restrictions in the dugout and clubhouse. Players like Anthony Rizzo, Jake Arrieta and Jason Heyward stated reasons for choosing not to get vaccinated, but Rizzo changed his status since joining the Yankees and played in Toronto this season.
"I think time gives everybody a chance to form opinions, information continues to come out about helping guys make the right decision," Ross said. "Only two guys and you'd like it to be no one, but we trusted everybody to make the best decision for them, it gives other guys opportunity as well. It is what it is, everybody has to deal with it around the league."
Alzolay shows progress:
Adbert Alzolay, who has been sidelined since spring training with an elbow injury, started for the Iowa Cubs on Saturday with promising results. He started the game by giving up a single and two walks, then struck out the next six batters he faced.
Cubs manager David Ross said the next move is to be determined, but Alzolay will likely get at least one more outing in Iowa before getting called up. Alzolay started 21 games for the Cubs last season, but will likely pitch out of the bullpen if he returns to the majors in September.
Ross said veteran Wade Miley is feeling better and is anxious to get in a game, but he might get another rehab start in the minors first. Keegan Thompson is recovering from a back injury and his return is not imminent.
Mervis hits 100:
Iowa Cubs first baseman Matt Mervis had an RBI single and solo home run on Sunday, giving him 100 RBI on the season. He's the first Cubs' minor-leaguer to reach 100 RBI since Kris Bryant had 110 in 2014.
Mervis, an undrafted free agent from Duke who joined the Cubs in 2010, is hitting .310 with 27 home runs this season, while playing in South Bend, Tennessee and Iowa.
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