4 days Ago By Bobby Foster, On Tap Sports Net
While the offense has been a juggernaut to begin the season, the bullpen has been sketchy for the Chicago Cubs. The circle of trust remains rather thin as the group is a hodgepodge of inconsistency. RHP Eli Morgan was the first of many moves to occur on Tuesday, and he will be heading to the injured list due to an elbow injury.
This could explain his underwhelming early returns in his first season in Chicago. Through 7 appearances, the right-hander has a distressingly bad 12.27 ERA.
Nate Pearson has also been optioned to Iowa after a series of poor performances, and he'll look to find himself in Triple-A for the time being. A 10.38 ERA will not get it done as the Cubs continue to look for some stability from their middle relievers.
The Cubs cannot afford a shaky bullpen if they hope to stay at the top of the National League Central. After losing Justin Steele for the season, the bullpen has more pressure to succeed while the team tries to find a temporary solution in the starting rotation with their ace on the shelf. In corresponding moves , Luke Little and Daniel Palencia will return to the major-league roster to provide the team with rested arms in relief.
The two pitchers are simply band aids while the team looks for another series win in San Diego. “We just had a bad night tonight.” Craig Counsell on the Cubs’ bullpen performance tonight.
pic.twitter.com/QukozoZ6K4 Third baseman Matt Shaw was also optioned to Iowa , with utility-man Vidal Bruján returning from the injured list.
Even with injuries and poor performances, the Cubs are remarkably slugging their way to relevancy in the division. The impact of Kyle Tucker continues to benefit the team in a multitude of ways. Now it's on the Cubs' brass to be aggressive in keeping things trending in the right direction.
This article first appeared on On Tap Sports Net and was syndicated with permission..
