Castro sidelined by family emergency
The Cubs could be without all-star shortstop Starlin Castro for several days because of what the Cubs termed a "family emergency."
Castro was at Wrigley Field before Wednesday's 8-3 loss to the San Francisco Giants before leaving the park. Javier Baez, who played most of this year and most of his minor-league career as a shortstop, moved from second base to short, and he may remain there for the duration of Castro's absence.
It's more than likely the Cubs will put Castro on the bereavement list, which means he'd miss a minimum of three games and a maximum of seven. The Cubs would be able to replace Castro with another player on the 40-man roster. That player could be infielder Logan Watkins, who spent time with the big club last year and who is at Class AAA Iowa.
Castro had played in all 125 games entering Wednesday. He has a batting line of .284/.333/.429 with 13 homers and 64 RBI.
Jackson rocked again:
It was another rough outing for right-hander Edwin Jackson. He lasted only 2⅔ innings Wednesday in the Cubs' 8-3 loss to the Giants. He gave up 8 hits and 7 runs as his record fell to 6-14 and his ERA rose from 5.74 to 6.09.
The Giants scored 4 runs on 4 hits against Jackson in the first inning. Manager Rick Renteria at least left open the possibility the Cubs could move Jackson out of the starting rotation.
"We're going to assess and evaluate and see where we go," Renteria said about three times.
Jackson seemed ready for anything.
"If it happens, it happens," he said. "I haven't really gone out and made it an easy decision for the organization or for the team. It's one of those things where you have to take it in stride."
Cubs make ticket offer:
The Cubs are inviting ticketholders from Tuesday night's rain-delayed and suspended to redeem their tickets for a complimentary weeknight game at Wrigley Field during the remainder of this season.
To redeem tickets, fans must present the Aug. 19 game ticket at the Wrigley Field ticket office. Tickets may be redeemed for the best comparable seats and are subject to availability.
"We have great respect for our fans and don't take their loyalty for granted. We'd like to take this opportunity to apologize to our fans who were inconvenienced by last night's lengthy delay and hope this gesture will provide another opportunity to enjoy a great game at Wrigley Field," said Colin Faulkner, vice president, sales and partnerships, in a statement on the Cubs website.
Minor matters:
Third baseman-first baseman Mike Olt went on the seven-day disabled list at Class AAA Iowa because of a strained left hamstring. Olt opened the season with the Cubs but was demoted after severe struggles at the plate ... Third baseman Kris Bryant hit his 19th homer for Iowa on Wednesday night and his 41st between Iowa and Class AA Tennessee this year.