SAN FRANCISCO – The Cubs may not have all the answers they want for their bullpen as they approach next week’s trade deadline.
But their starting rotation plans for the stretch run appear to be coming into focus as veteran left-hander Cole Hamels (left oblique) takes the mound Tuesday night for Class AAA Iowa in a minor-league rehab start.
If Hamels progresses in the 35-50-pitch assignment as he has during rehab work to this point, he could be on track to rejoin the Cubs’ rotation Sunday in Milwaukee.
That would put the Cubs’ opening five back together again, healthy, for the first time since the second week of June.
“We’re just going to take it one moment at a time,” manager Joe Maddon said. “We’ll just see how he feels [Wednesday] and make the next evaluation after that. Hopefully, it’ll be sooner rather than later, but after he throws we’ll know more.”
Hamels was one of the hottest pitchers in the majors in June (1.22 ERA) when he left his June 28 start after one inning because of the injury.
How his return impacts his replacement the last two turns, right-hander Alec Mills, is uncertain at this point, Maddon said.
But the Mills showed enough success in those two starts to give the Cubs confidence in their sixth-starter depth and to force them to consider whether Mills can contribute on the big-league roster upon Hamels’ return.
“We’ve talked about interjecting the sixth starter, but we don’t need him right now with the days off [Thursday and Monday],” Maddon said. “After that you have no idea.”
Maddon said he and the front office have not discussed what Mills might look like in long – or even short – relief if they kept him as a bullpen option.
“That would be another discussion,” Maddon said.
Mills pitched one out deep into the fifth inning with the lead before Pedro Strop eventually gave up three runs in the eighth in the Cubs’ 5-4 loss to the Giants in Monday’s opener of a three-game series in San Francisco.
After a rough opening inning during his first start last week, Mills has allowed just two runs in 9 1/3 innings.
Mills said he’s ready for whatever duty the Cubs might ask of him, including long relief and/or spot starting duty.
“I think definitely think I could be that,” he said. “I pitch like a starter. I think I have enough pitches to be a starter.”
The Cubs are expected to send him back to Iowa to stay stretched out. Assuming they employ a sixth starter during a stretch of 19 games in 20 days that starts Tuesday, he could be in line for that start – with a chance to earn extended time on the roster.
Catch 2-3?
Meanwhile, the Cubs expect to activate Willson Contreras (foot) from the injured list Wednesday for Jon Lester’s start against the Giants, and likely will still with three catchers on the roster at that point.
That could be Mills’ roster spot at least until Sunday.
Maddon said such a decision hasn’t been “finalized” yet.
But, he said, “We have talked about. There’s different ways to incporate that.”
Using defensive whiz Martin Maldonado as the truer backup allows the Cubs’ to get Victor Caratini’s switch-hitting bat in the lineup at the same time as Contreras. Both Caratini and Contreras are converted players who can play other positions – Caratini more notably at corner infield spots and Contreras in left field.
