CHICAGO -- The Cubs had hoped Javier Assad was positioning himself to be an option for the rotation in the near future, but the right-hander has hit a setback in his comeback from a left oblique issue that initially flared during Spring Training.
During Assad's second Minor League rehab start with Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, the righty exited after four innings and 67 pitches due to discomfort in his side. Cubs manager Craig Counsell noted on Friday that Assad sustained a Grade 2 strain of the same oblique, requiring the pitcher to go into a shut-down period once again.
¡°He re-aggravated basically the same injury,¡± Counsell said. ¡°No timelines as of right now.¡±
Following the recent season-ending injury to Justin Steele, the Cubs moved veteran righty Colin Rea to the rotation as the fifth starter behind Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd and Ben Brown. Assad represents an important layer of depth behind that group, along with left-hander Jordan Wicks, who was recently optioned back to Iowa after a stint in Chicago's bullpen.
Counsell was asked if Assad¡¯s setback would hasten a search for external rotation help.
¡°No,¡± Counsell said. ¡°I mean, look, you¡¯re always looking for it. We¡¯re down another guy for a period of time. We have to recognize that. It¡¯s really going to be an opportunity for somebody else, is how you¡¯ve got to look at it.¡±
Prior to exiting the rehab appearance, Assad had allowed two runs while striking out five batters. His first rehab start came on April 15, when he permitted one run over 3 1/3 innings for Iowa. The 27-year-old, who suffered his oblique strain back in February, was a productive member of Chicago¡¯s rotation last season, recording a 3.73 ERA over 147 innings (29 starts).
The 34-year-old Rea signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Cubs over the offseason to serve as either a multi-inning reliever or a contingency plan for the rotation. Through five appearances (two starts), the righty has spun a 1.32 ERA with 12 strikeouts and one walk in 13 2/3 innings.
¡°Colin, he¡¯s always going to be a little understated,¡± said Counsell, who also managed Rea in ¡®21 and ¡®23 with the Brewers. ¡°That¡¯s the nature of how he goes about his job, and it feels like sometimes the nature of how he pitches. But, he executes at a pretty high level. His stuff is better than you think ¨C I think that¡¯s what hitters say.
¡°And he¡¯s continued to get better. That¡¯s the other thing that I¡¯ve always liked about Colin. Sometimes you think, ¡®Oh, a pitcher in their 30s. What you see is what you get.¡¯ He¡¯s continued to make improvements.¡±