April 28--Saturday's rainout provided some benefits to the Chicago Cubs, who reverted to a 12-man pitching staff by optioning reliever Brian Schlitter to Triple-A Iowa.
The Cubs added much-needed depth to their bench by recalling outfielder Junior Lake from Iowa, as manager Joe Maddon has tried to make the most of a roster that currently carries three catchers who have yet to play other positions.
Schlitter, 29, had a 9.53 ERA in seven appearances after playing an important role in the bullpen for most of the 2014 season. Schlitter made a career-high 61 appearances in 2014, but he seemed to wear down after a taxing first half. Schlitter posted a 2.98 ERA in 43 appearances in the first half, but he was saddled with a 7.71 ERA in 18 games in the second half.
The Cubs already miss the services of Justin Grimm and Neil Ramirez, whom each are on the 15-day disabled list. The Cubs' politburo has declined to elaborate on specifics of their recoveries, other than to say that Grimm was continuing to throw bullpen sessions in Arizona.
Last season, Grimm pitched in 73 games and Ramirez 50 -- both career highs under then-manager Rick Renteria. But President Theo Epstein declined to make a connection between the use of the three pitchers in 2014 and their injuries/ineffectiveness.
"Relievers always (endure) a lot of volatility year to year, and I think those guys are working hard to come back," Epstein said. "I'm not going to pinpoint the reason why it happened. Every team is different."
