Cubs Place Brandon Hughes On IL, Recall Caleb Kilian
The Cubs announced they’ve placed left hander Brandon Hughes on the 15-day IL (retroactive to April 27) with left knee inflammation and recalled right hander Caleb Kilian from Triple-A.
It’s a bit of a blow to the Cubs’ bullpen, as Hughes was off to a solid start working to a 3.18 ERA with nine strikeouts across 5 2/3 innings. That backed up his rookie year in which the 27-year-old pitched to a 3.12 ERA over 57 2/3 innings. The southpaw posts quality strikeout rates, and limits left handed hitters to a .208/.283/.281 batting line, giving up just one home runs in 108 plate appearances over his short career.
The left knee appears to be a bit of a problem for Hughes, who was bothered by it during Spring Training and wound up on the IL on Opening Day as a result. The Cubs will certainly be hoping a second trip to the IL is enough to eliminate the problem.
With Hughes out, the Cubs will turn to Kilian, a right hander who’s only major league experience consists of three starts for the Cubs last season. Those starts didn’t go too well, as Kilian was rocked for 13 earned runs and gave up 12 walks in 11 1/3 innings of work. He’s struggled to a 7.15 ERA in his first three starts at Triple-A this season.
NL Central Notes: Wainwright, Reds, Cubs
Cardinals manager Oli Marmol provided on update on veteran right-hander Adam Wainwright to reporters (including MLB.com’s John Denton) today. The 41-year old Wainwright opened the season on the injured list after suffering a groin injury during Team USA’s run to the World Baseball Classic finals, but threw a 33-pitch bullpen session on Saturday with another planned for Tuesday. Should that go well, the plan is for Wainwright to advance to either a simulated game or a rehab start in the minors.
That’s good news for the Cardinals, who have struggled in the early going this season thanks in part to the rotation posting a combined 5.93 ERA in 41 innings across the season’s first eight games. Wainwright’s career 3.38 ERA would surely be a breath of fresh air for St. Louis’s beleaguered rotation, and even a repeat of his roughly league average 2022 season would make Wainwright a reliable starter in a rotation with plenty of question marks. Wainwright’s rotation spot is currently occupied by Jake Woodford, who allowed six earned runs on seven hits (three homers) and three walks in four 1/3 innings in his first start of the season.
More injury updates from around the NL Central…
- The Reds sent right-handers Luke Weaver and Lucas Sims to Triple-A Louisville for a rehab assignment today. Weaver was set to begin the year in the Cincinnati rotation before being sidelined with a strained right flexor tendon, while Sims figured to being one of the top options in the Reds’ bullpen before being sidelined with back spasms. The rehab assignment indicates that both could impact the big league club soon. Weaver’s return would likely push right-hander Luis Cessa from the rotation into the bullpen. Cessa still figures to take at least one more turn through the rotation, however, as he projects to start again on Tuesday against the Braves. Sims has posted a 4.20 ERA (3.37 FIP) in 79 1/3 innings since moving to the bullpen full-time for the 2020 season, while Weaver signed a one-year deal with the club this offseason following a brutal 2022 season where he posted a 6.56 ERA in 35 2/3 innings of work.
- The Cubs provided a handful of injury updates of their own, as Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic notes. Right fielder Seiya Suzuki and left-hander Brandon Hughes are continuing to progress well in their rehab process in Triple-A, with Suzuki in the lineup at DH for Iowa today while Hughes threw an inning yesterday. Sharma also relayed an update on starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks, who has been out since the middle of last season with a capsular tear in his right shoulder. Hendricks is scheduled to throw a bullpen tomorrow as the Cubs have opted to take his recovery process slowly thanks to the number of depth options they have for the rotation. Adrian Sampson and Javier Assad are among the top depth options behind the current starting five of Marcus Stroman, Jameson Taillon, Justin Steele, Drew Smyly, and Hayden Wesneski.