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40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full), plus two players are on the 60-DAY IL 

26 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, ten players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, two players are on the 15-DAY IL, and two players are on the 10-DAY IL

Last updated 4-17-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Colten Brewer
Ben Brown
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
Keegan Thompson
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Garrett Cooper
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
* Miles Mastrobuoni
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 10 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Luke Little, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 

10-DAY IL: 2 
Seiya Suzuki, OF
Patrick Wisdom, INF 

15-DAY IL: 2
* Justin Steele, P  
Jameson Taillon, P 

60-DAY IL: 2 
Caleb Kilian, P 
Julian Merryweather, P
 




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Rule 5 Draft 
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DJ Spins the Biggest Hit

Submitted by Arizona Phil on

Up from Minor League Camp (Fitch Park) to provide some back-up insurance on the bench, D. J. Lemahieu slugged a pinch-hit two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th to give a Cubs split squad a 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Cactus League action at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in warm & sunny Mesa, AZ, this afternoon.

box score (Mesa)

The Cubs 2nd round pick in 2009 out of College World Series Champion LSU, Lemahieu comes into the 2011 season looking like a body-builder, having added about 25 pounds (mostly muscle) to his 6'4 frame at the Cubs off-season strength & conditioning program at Fitch Park (AKA "Camp Colvin"). He is regarded by most scouts and other observers as the Cubs best hitting prospect, but he has been doing it with an arm-locked opposite-field line-drive stroke that did not produce home runs. He worked extensively with Cubs minor league hitting coach Barbaro Garbey at AZ Instructs post-2009 on learning how to elevate his swing a bit and "turn on the ball," but he was mostly unable to replicate the training at Daytona in 2010, hitting 314/346/386 but with only two HR in 600 PA. (Somehow he managed 73 RBI, though).   

Lemahieu has played 2B-SS-3B in his short pro career (2010 was his first full season), and while he looks most-comfortable at SS, he has also almost-certainly outgrown the position. Scouts projected him long-term as a 2B or (even more-likely) a 3B in pro ball, but questioned if he could develop the HR power expected of a third-baseman. Granted today is just one game (and a Spring Training game to boot), but the HR Lemahieu hit today was probably not something you would have seen last year or anytime previous in his career. 

Ryan Dempster got the start for the Cubs today, and pitched very well, going four innings (46 pitches - 31 strikes, 4/4 GO/FO), allowing just one run on three hits and no walks. Manager Mike Quade has already named Dempster as the Cubs Opening Day starting pitcher, and he is obviously the most-advanced of the Cubs starters so far. He probably could easily have pitched a fifth inning today. Dempster's only bump in the road was an Aaron Miles lead-off triple to CF in the 3rd, with Miles eventually scoring on a ground out.

The Cubs got on the board first in the bottom of the 1st inning against Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley, as lead-off man Kosuke Fukudome reached second base on a double-error by SS Justin Sellers, and then scored on an RBI double by Marlon Byrd  (Sellers was acquired by the Cubs from OAK in the Michael Wuertz deal, only to be dealt to the Dodgers at the end of Minor League Camp in 2009 before ever having a chance to play in a regular season game in the Cubs system).  

The Cubs took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the 4th, as Byrd doubled again (his 4th double in two days), and scored on a Jeff Baker two-out line-drive RBI single that knocked Billingsley out of the game.

Carlos Marmol threw a shutout 5th (striking out the side), but the Dodgers tied it up in the 6th against Thomas Diamond, as Gabe Kapler ripped a lead-off double, and scored one out later on a Dioner Navarro SF.

The Cubs came back to take the lead again in the bottom of the 7th, as Steve Clevenger raked an opposite-field PH double over the left-fielder's head, and scored a moment later on a Fukudome line-drive RBI single to right-center.  

But then the Dodgers tied it up (again) in the 8th against Jeff Stevens, as the right-hander labored through his one inning of work, allowing a walk, a single, and a Marcus Thames game-tying RBI double along the way.

Marcos Mateo pitched a 1-2-3 9th and Esmailin Caridad threw a 1-2-3 10th (and both looked very good), setting things up for some home team heroics. 

Lou Montanez worked a lead-off walk in the 10th, and then (with the Dodgers expecting a bunt) Lemahieu put an exclamation point on the day's festivities, turning a Luis Vasquez offering into crowd-pleasing walk-off dinger.  

Meanwhile, the other squad of Cubs was getting royally blanked in Goodyear by a Reds split squad, losing 10-0 on a combined two-hit shutout. 

box score (Goodyear)

I wasn't at this game, but from the box score it's fairly obvious that Casey Coleman had a poor outing (allowing three runs on four hits in 2.0 IP), and top pitching prospect Trey McNutt--making his Cactus League debut--allowed three walks, a double, and a home run (and a WP), getting only two outs (both strikeouts) before being relieved. 

Starting pitcher Todd Wellemeyer didn't pitch much better than Coleman, but he only allowed one run in his two innings, apparently thanks in part to a CS. 

The Cubs play only one game tomorrow, facing the Angels in Mesa.

Tags
Cubs Spring Training Recap

Comments

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Submitted by Arizona Phil on Mon, 03/07/2011 - 03:58 pm

Submitted by George Altman on Mon, 03/07/2011 - 4:53pm. Phil, along that same line do you see the Cubs (1) picking up ARam's option for 2012; (2) Vitters ready for 3B in 2012; or (3) Lemahieu (with HR power developing) a more realistic in-house option for 3B? ================================================= GEORGE A: You're asking a good question, but I have no idea what the Cubs will do. I guess if Aramis Ramirez reverts to pre-2010 form and stays healthy, I would think the Cubs will probably pick up his option for 2012, unless they need the $16M in 2012 salary to help pay for Albert Pujols. But if Ramirez does not revert to pre-2010 form, I don't think he'll be back even if the Cubs don't need to divert $16M to Pujols. If Aramis Ramirez does not return in 2012, the Cubs could just muddle along like they did for about 30 years after Ron Santo was traded, but as far as in-house options are concerned, I would say Lemahieu will be played at both 2B and 3B at AA in 2011, and then will play wherever he is needed once he reaches MLB (2B, 3B, 1B, maybe super-sub 1B-2B-3B-LF-RF). Defensively he's a similar player to Jeff Baker, and also like Baker, Lemahieu murders LHP but sometimes will struggle vs RHP. The big issue with Lemahieu is HR power, whether he can sustain a power stroke in addition to being the best young hitter in the organization. Josh Vitters might remain at 3B, or he could move to 1B. He has the actions of a third-baseman and is capable of making all the plays there, it's just that he sometimes gets lazy, especially with his throws. But whether he plays 3B or 1B, he must hit (and hit HR) to get to the big leagues. Marquez Smith is probably more of a stop-gap until Lemahieu or Vitters emerges at 3B, but then Casey McGehee did not project as an everyday 3B until he grabbed the job in Milwaukee and wouldn't let it go, so...

[ ]

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Mon, 03/07/2011 - 03:45 pm

Submitted by The Real Neal on Mon, 03/07/2011 - 9:56am. Phil, what have you seen out of Lemahieu in BP? ========================== REAL NEAL: D. J. Lemahieu is a lot of fun to watch in BP because he has plus-bat speed and tries to rifle everything up the middle, the way players are taught to take BP. No question Lemahieu is the Cubs best pure hitting prospect. With his new found strength & power, though, I expect Lemahieu to explore "turning on the ball" when he gets an inside pitch he can handle, just as Ryne Sandberg did when he was taught a pull-power stroke by Jim Frey in 1984. In fact, Ryne Sandberg might be an apt comparison to make with Lemahieu, not in terms of speed or defense, but just as far as Lemahieu being the same type of hitter Sandberg was early in his career, with the possibility that he might be able to develop some HR power later (like maybe starting this season).

Submitted by The Real Neal on Mon, 03/07/2011 - 03:00 pm

Playoff Odds from BP: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/odds/ Cardinals still the favorites - though I sort of like the Reds. Other than Votto and Arroyo, it's hard to find guys on their team that aren't likely to repeat what they did last year.

Submitted by Rob G. on Mon, 03/07/2011 - 03:22 pm

callis on twitter sez: See him as more useful bench piece than regular. Can hit the fastball. @carl9730: Have you formed much of an opinion on Marquez Smith? #Cubs Pena 1/14 with 5 K's so far...keep getting your reps in Colvin.

Submitted by navigator on Mon, 03/07/2011 - 03:23 pm

And Welington Castillo throws a perfect strike to nail the runner on a hit and run. Goodbye KHill.

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Submitted by crunch on Mon, 03/07/2011 - 03:29 pm

angels are running like hell this spring...they're looking like they're gonna make speed a huge part of 2011 unless they're just checking out how fast their guys are. 17sb 2cs for the team this spring...well, 3cs now.

Submitted by navigator on Mon, 03/07/2011 - 03:32 pm

In 2010, the story around Cubs camp seemed to be that early season slumps by Ramirez and Derrek Lee were tied into neither veteran working with Jaramillo. "I always worked with Rudy," Ramirez said. "I don't know who came up with the idea that I didn't. But my work is different from some of the other guys who work with Rudy as well. Guys like Marlon and Soriano hit every day in the cage. I hit maybe 3-4 times a week in the cage in early spring training. "I just go there to fine tune things. But Rudy is there for me all the time. We work on a lot of things, but he's not the type to change you. He helps you stay within your own swing." http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/3390/cubs-responding-to-…

Submitted by navigator on Mon, 03/07/2011 - 03:20 pm

M. Ramirez clears the bases, Cubs lead 13-12 in the eighth and the Cubs should have more, they ran themselves out of a couple runs BUT.... Jeff "Not Ready for Primetime" Samardzija summarily gives up a home run in the ninth to blow the save.

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    he's a low-level cubs star in the modern history of the cubs (c.zambrano, k.wood, r.dempster, etc), but that star has dimmed...and has been dimming since 2021.

    2024 has been ugly the whole way and we're only in mid-april.  homers aside (even though there's been 7 in 17ip) he gave up 29 hits in 20 spring innings and 31 in 17 regular season innings.

    he's pretty much only got 2 pitches at this point in his career and the mix isn't fooling anyone.  he threw a noticable amount more curves in his last start to add to the mix and it didn't help his issues.  he don't have many moves left to break out.

  • Eric S (view)

    Definitely needs a 10 day stint for the hangnail - have to nip those things in the bud or suffer the consequences (ie, more opponent home run derby, etc)

  • Eric S (view)

    Thanks for checking and yeah, that’s a double ouch

  • Sonicwind75 (view)

    Believe you are correct, checked and appears Cubs have a $2.51 million obligation to Barnhart this season per Cot's Contracts.  Also paying Trey Mancini $7mil this season.  Ouch.  

  • crunch (view)

    m.busch had 0hr and 2 doubles when he was last at wrigley.

    we'll probably see a few more of his jerseys in the seats when they return tomorrow.

    wonder who will go down for taillon.  hey hendricks, you got a hangnail or something?

  • Eric S (view)

    Nice work by Wesneski with some solid defense behind him and the late tack on runs were welcome. Gladly take a 5-4 West Coast swing, particularly down two key starting pitchers … Now just don’t get swept by the Marlins for Pete’s sake. 

  • crunch (view)

    dansby takes the team lead in SB today after a SB with 2 SB total.  the team has 3.  madrigal has the other one.

    cubs also have 7 triples, 7 players each.

  • crunch (view)

    sure am ready for p.wisdom and m.masterboney to swap roster spots.

  • Eric S (view)

    The fifth inning has not been kind to Wicks this season. Giving up leadoff doubles to Tucker Barnhart is also not good for business. IIRC, the Cubs are on the hook for the majority of Barnhart’s salary this season to add insult to injury (could definitely be wrong here). 

  • Cubster (view)

    Kris Bryant to IL with low back strain. He’s keeping the Rockies docs busy.

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