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Cubs’ Javier Assad: Twirls 3.2 innings at Triple-A
Assad (oblique) struck out two and allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits and one walk across 3.2 innings in his rehab start Wednesday with Triple-A Iowa.
After tossing three scoreless frames in his first rehab outing July 24 in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League, Assad jumped up a few levels for his second outing. The right-hander got stretched out to 53 pitches (32 strikes) in the start and is expected to build upon that workload when he makes his next rehab appearance with Iowa on Wednesday, per MLB.com reports. Though Assad still appears more likely than not to work in long relief or stick around in Iowa’s rotation once he’s activated from the 60-day injured list, he could be needed to make starts with the big club if he ends up beating Jameson Taillon (calf) and Michael Soroka (shoulder) back from the IL.
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Cubs’ Ryan Brasier: Takes first loss Monday
Brasier (0-1) allowed a run on two hits while retiring two batters in relief to take the loss in Monday’s 3-2 defeat to the Reds.
After Michael Soroka covered two innings before departing with a shoulder injury and Ben Brown worked the next four frames, Brasier came on in the seventh with the game tied 2-2. The veteran reliever allowed an RBI single to TJ Friedl that broke the tie and ultimately saddled him with his first loss of the season. Brasier still has a solid 3.27 ERA and 1.05 WHIP this year, and he should retain a key role in a Chicago bullpen that added Taylor Rogers and Andrew Kittredge before the trade deadline.
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Cubs’ Michael Soroka: Will require IL stint
Cubs manager Craig Counsell said after Monday’s 3-2 loss that Soroka (shoulder) is expected to be placed on the 15-day injured list, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
The club is presumably still in the process of running more tests on Soroka’s shoulder, but the right-hander’s injury is considered significant enough that he’ll need to be shelved for at least two weeks. Acquired from the Nationals ahead of the trade deadline, Soroka lasted just two innings in his Cubs debut, striking out three while giving up one earned run on one hit and one walk before exiting with shoulder discomfort. Ben Brown tossed four innings of one-run ball in long relief and is likely the leading candidate to replace Soroka in the rotation.