With Kyle Hendricks on the injured list, the Cubs may deploy a trio of pitchers to fill Hendricks’ starts during what the team hopes will be a relatively brief injury absence for the right-hander. As president of baseball operations Theo Epstein told reporters (including the Chicago Sun-Times’ Gordon Wittenmyer) that the team was planning to use spot starters to give their veteran arms extra days of rest. Tyler Chatwood and Mike Montgomery could be two of the pitchers filling in, though the third could be pitching prospect Adbert Alzolay.
“Alzolay is on a real roll at Triple-A, and we’d been planning even before this to possibly give him a couple of spot starts at some point over the next month or so,” Epstein said. “Just to get his feet wet and also give our veteran rotation guys a little bit of a breather during a stretch in the schedule where we don’t have a lot of off days.”
Alzolay, 24, has a 3.09 ERA over 32 innings for Triple-A Iowa this season, with a stunning 12.9 K/9 and 7.67 K/BB rate. His only real flaw is a 1.1 HR/9, which stems from “extreme flyball tendencies,” as per his MLB.com scouting report. Despite some issues with the long ball, Alzolay is given credit for having a plus curveball and a plus fastball that sits in the 92-96mph range.
Though Alzolay has promise and has been at or near the top of the Cubs’ prospect charts for a couple of years, this could be more due to the fact that Chicago has promoted or dealt away many of their recent top minor leaguers. In overall prospect rankings, only Baseball Prospectus placed Alzolay in its preseason top-100 (sitting 95th), while Alzolay has yet to crack even the updated midseason versions of the MLB.com or Baseball America top 100, while Fangraphs has Alzolay outside of their top 125. Still, an injury-shortened 2018 season could account for his lack of notice, as a lat problem limited Alzolay to only eight starts last season.
It doesn’t seem as if Alzolay, if he is promoted, will necessarily be in line for an extended stint in his big league debut. Hendricks and Yu Darvish, however, are the only Cubs starters on guaranteed deals beyond the 2020 season, so a solid first impression could certainly put Alzolay in line for an extended look possibly as early as next season, depending on what happens with Cole Hamels’ free agency.
I like the Adbert Alzolay option best of the three mentioned here. Keep Tyler Chatwood in his current role where he is thriving after his miserable 2018 debut as a Cubs starter. Forget Mike Montgomery who is a shell of his former self. The Cubs biggest need right now might arguably be another southpaw setup man in the bullpen to replace Montgomery.
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Bring on “Fat Adbert”!
I agree Aaron. The only need left on this team (after the Kimbrel signing) is a legit LHer out of the pen.
Will Smith
Ian Happ for Will Smith would be a win-win deal for both teams.
Are they still considering?
Taking nearly 1 day.
Would love for the Cubs to extend Hamels another couple of seasons. This guy is still a quality starter. I’m not sure what Lester’s plans are after this contract but hopefully both these veterans would be willing to stick around a year or two more at a reasonable price
Sign Lester through age 50 and really tie up ur payroll!
Excellent idea.
‘His only real flaw is his home run rate’
Looks at his walk rate*
It doesn’t show his walk rate. It shows is k/bb rate which is 7.67. That means he walks one guy for every 7 k’s. When coupled with his 12.9 k’s per 9 inning avg. the kid looks to have stellar control. However, being a fly ball pitcher in Wrigley could spell trouble when the wind is blowing out.
1 walk every 4.5 innings???
Pitch him against the Sox this week and that HR rate will really turn into something awful for him! He will be back at AAA by 8th inning!!
Who are the White Sox? When is the last time anyone admitted to being a White Sox fan?
I am and proud of it !!!!
Hahaha, I almost feel bad for thirsty Northwest Indiana White Sux fans. I think locally the Kane County Cougars are more relevant. It is funny that they inexplicably have trolls. Manny dodged a bullet by picking the lowly Padres over that trash on that south side.
Oh snap nvm haha
Give Chatwood the opportunity. The guy has bounced back strong from last year and we are paying him a crap ton of money. He has very good stuff. Just needs the confidence.
Bring back Warren Brusstar.
Doesn’t matter. The Cubs will still finish 3rd at best!
Other than being a biased Sox fan, what reason would lead you to thinking the cubs finish anything lower then 2nd??
Cards and Brewers better teams!
‘Nuf said!
Lester and Hamels will break down shortly after All Star break.
Plus you never know what you’ll get from Yu!! His feelings may be hurt again before the All Star break.
One day you will finish remedial English and finally learn that predictions and facts are mutually exclusive
And then you’ll understand why you proclaiming the Cardinals and Brewers better because you believe the Cubs will get worse is a wholly unconvincing argument to anyone with a brain…
Cardinals and Brewers are much better.
Cubs will get worse.
Both facts and mutually exclusive.
Go wipe your nose.
Typical White Sox fan. Don’t hear from them all season. Sox win a little bit and here they come. Jealous of the world. Why so much hatred?
‘cubs will get worse’ is a prediction, which cannot also be a fact…
You get the two confused a lot…
Your answer is in your question. Can’t blame White Sux fans for being thirsty, bitter, jealous clowns. Imagine if you cheered for a joke of a team that played in a major market but was reduced to operating like a small market team because the team on the other side of town gobbles up all the attention, attendance, ratings, revenue, national attention, top FAs, etc… meanwhile the F’n Padres beat you out for Manny Machado. Not the Yanks, not the Red Sox, Cubs, Dodgers, Astros… but the Padres. Yeah, you’d be bitter too. Give them a break, it has to be a sad existence.
White Sox in a terrible division . If they were in nl central they would have 15 wins.
Cubs will get Will Smith and their payroll will be infinity after this year with tv deal and legal sports betting at Wrigley . I’m a Cub fan and good luck to Sox , enjoy your team and quit worrying about ours. Maybe meet you in World Series some day
Enough*
Both the Cubs and the White Sox have won one World Series in last 100 years. I predict they each can win two during the next century … so things are looking up for both franchises.
The brewers are not better not even close. They will fade and it’s starting now. Milwaukee is almost as depressing as Cleveland
That’s why the Cubs swept the Cards twice this year. You’re clueless! No wonder you’re a Sox fan
Duane underwood? Is he all but an after thought at this point?
He stinks.
Alzolay just got called up.
Alzolay just got called up