Cubs' Javier Assad: Reaches fourth inning in rehab start
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Assad (oblique) struck out four and allowed one earned run on four hits and one walk over 3.1 innings in a rehab start Tuesday with Triple-A Iowa.
Assad has been on the shelf all season after suffering a left oblique strain early in spring training, but he's now reached the final phase of his recovery process. He tossed 66 pitches in Tuesday's outing and is expected to increase his workload in another start with Iowa on Sunday. If all goes well in his second rehab appearance, Assad could return from the 15-day injured list as soon as next weekend. It's not clear if Assad would immediately supplant Ben Brown or Colin Rea for a spot at the back end of the Chicago rotation once he's activated.
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Cubs' Javier Assad: Stint on injured list possible
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Assad (oblique) could throw off a mound this week, but a stint on the injured list to begin the season is possible, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.
Assad is working his way back from a mild left oblique strain suffered early on in camp. He could have enough time to ramp up for Opening Day if he does indeed get back on a mound this week, but a stint on the injured list to begin the season has not been ruled out. Assad came into camp as the presumed favorite to serve as the Cubs' fifth starter, but if he's not ready, Colin Rea, Jordan Wicks and Ben Brown would compete to fill in.
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Cubs' Javier Assad: Managing mild oblique strain
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Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Tuesday that Assad was diagnosed with a mild oblique strain and will be shut down from throwing for a few days, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.
The shutdown period is expected to be brief, so the right-hander may not end up missing too much of camp. Assad is poised to compete for the final spot in Chicago's rotation once healthy, but too much of a delayed start to spring training could affect his buildup for the regular season.
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Cubs' Javier Assad: Vying for final rotation spot
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Assad is likely vying for the Cubs' fifth rotation spot this spring, with Jordan Wicks among his top competitors, Tony Andracki of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Assad made a career-high 29 starts a season ago and held his own, compiling a 3.73 ERA and 124 strikeouts across 147 innings. A year earlier, the righty served in a swing role, as he made 10 starts and 22 relief appearances. The Cubs likely want Assad to stick in the rotation, though the top four spots seem spoken for by Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon and new addition Matthew Boyd. That leaves Assad, Wicks and possibly others to compete for the No. 5 job. Given Assad's starting experience from 2024, he's likely the favorite at this point.
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Cubs' Javier Assad: Serves up three homers in defeat
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Assad (7-6) took the loss Wednesday against the Phillies, allowing eight earned runs on eight hits and three walks in 4.1 innings. He struck out three.
Assad's final start of the season turned out to be his worst, as he allowed a season-worst eight earned runs on six extra-base hits, including three home runs. Assad limped to the finish line in 2024, allowing three or more earned runs in five of his final six starts, posting an ugly 5.82 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 25:13 K:BB during that span. Although he ended on a sour note, the 27-year-old set career highs in innings pitched (147) and strikeouts (124), finishing the season with a respectable 3.73 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 124:63 K:BB in 29 starts.
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Cubs' Javier Assad: Strikes out five in no-decision
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Assad did not factor into the decision in a win over the Nationals on Thursday, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk over five innings. He struck out five.
The Nationals got to Assad early, tagging the right-hander for one run in the opening frame and two more in the third after he allowed hits to three of the first five batters he faced in the inning. The 27-year-old would still manage to get through five frames for the sixth consecutive outing, though he's now winless over his last three starts. Assad has also posted five strikeouts in each of his last three starts, while Thursday's start marked the first time in his last four outings that he didn't walk multiple batters.
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Cubs' Javier Assad: Allows one earned run in loss
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Assad (7-5) took the loss against the Yankees on Saturday, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks with five strikeouts over 5.2 innings.
Assad allowed one run in the first inning and then tossed four scoreless frames before being lifted and charged with an unearned run in the sixth. Despite the loss, the 27-year-old has yielded three earned runs or fewer in each of his past 10 appearances. On the season, he owns a 3.14 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 111:56 across 131.2 innings and lines up for a road matchup with the Rockies next week.
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Cubs' Javier Assad: Covers four innings again Wednesday
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Assad allowed two runs on three hits across four innings in Wednesday's start against the Twins. He walked two, struck out one and did not factor into the decision.
Assad was lifted after tossing 75 pitches, and for the second straight start, he covered just four innings, which didn't allow him to qualify for the win in a game the Cubs won 8-2. The righty was fairly effective while in the contest, though the Cubs seem to be watching his workload closely. Assad logged a career-high 109.1 innings last season, mostly as a long reliever. Now serving exclusively as a starter, the 27-year-old is up to 102.2 innings this year. Assad is penciled in to take the mound again next Wednesday against the Guardians, and his fantasy value will remain capped if he's unable to work deeper into games.
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Cubs' Javier Assad: Pitch count limited in return
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Assad came away with a no-decision in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Cardinals, giving up three runs on seven hits and two walks over 2.1 innings. He failed to strike out a batter.
Out since June 23 with a forearm strain, Assad was activated from the IL without having gone on a rehab assignment, so the poor results aren't a big surprise. The right-hander was lifted after 44 pitches (29 strikes) having served up first-inning solo shots to Masyn Winn and Willson Contreras, and keeping the ball in the park was an issue for Assad prior to the injury as well -- he's been tagged for 10 homers in his last eight starts and 37 innings, posting a 5.59 ERA, 1.76 WHIP and 37:20 K:BB over that stretch. Despite those numbers, the 26-year-old will likely remain in the Cubs rotation following the All-Star break.
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Cubs' Javier Assad: Activated, starting nightcap
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The Cubs reinstated Assad (forearm) from the 15-day injured list Saturday, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.
A forearm strain has kept Assad on the IL since June 27, but he'll now return to start the second game of Chicago's doubleheader versus the Cardinals. The 26-year-old righty owns a 3.04 ERA and 1.28 WHIP through 16 starts on the year, though his numbers jump up to a 5.04 ERA and 1.56 WHIP across his five most recent outings. He'll officially serve as the Cubs' 27th man for Saturday's twin bill, though he'll presumably remain with the team following his start.
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Cubs' Javier Assad: Pre-break return possible
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Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Sunday that Assad (forearm) could be activated from the injured list prior to the All-Star break, Mike McGraw of the Chicago Daily Herald reports.
The right-hander landed on the shelf in late June with a strained forearm, but he wasn't shut down from throwing for long and had a bullpen session Friday. The Cubs have a doubleheader Saturday in St. Louis, and that would be a logicial point for him to be re-insterted into the rotation ahead of the All-Star break.
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Cubs' Javier Assad: Throws bullpen session
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Assad (forearm) will throw a bullpen session Friday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Assad is just a little over a week removed from landing on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm extensor strain, so it's a good sign that he's already been cleared to throw off the bump. The Cubs have a doubleheader July 13, and Assad being ready by that date could be in the cards if all goes well.
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Cubs' Javier Assad: Hits IL with strained forearm
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The Cubs placed Assad on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a right forearm extensor strain, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
The injury has evidently been an issue for Assad off and on for about two weeks, per Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune, which could help explain why he's stumbled in June with a 5.49 ERA after entering the month with a 2.27 mark. With Assad slated to miss at least two turns, Hayden Wesneski is likely to remain in the Cubs' rotation for a while.
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Cubs' Javier Assad: Chased in fifth inning
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Assad (4-3) allowed four runs on seven hits and a walk while failing to record a strikeout over 4.1 innings, taking the loss Sunday versus the Mets.
Assad has failed to complete five innings in four of his last nine starts. The Mets did most of their damage in the third inning, as Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo hit back-to-back home runs to account for three of the four runs on Assad's line. The right-hander is now at a 3.04 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 79:33 K:BB through 83 innings across 16 starts this year. He's projected for a road game in Milwaukee in his next start.
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Cubs' Javier Assad: Fans seven in no-decision
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Assad allowed one run on five hits and two walks while striking out seven batters over five innings in a no-decision against San Francisco on Monday.
Assad needed 92 pitches to get through five frames, but he was effective during his time on the mound, limiting the Giants to just a fourth-inning run. However, the right-hander couldn't pick up his first win since mid-May, as Chicago's offense wasn't able to push across a run until after his departure. Nonetheless, this was a nice bounce-back for Assad after he surrendered seven earned runs over 10.1 frames across his previous two outings.
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Cubs' Javier Assad: Takes second loss
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Assad (4-2) allowed five runs on seven hits across 5.2 innings to take the loss Thursday against the Reds. He walked two and struck out seven.
Assad flashed his skill with the seven strikeouts, which tied for his second most in a game this year, but he was ultimately done in by a three-run Elly De La Cruz home run in the third inning. The righty still has a solid 2.74 ERA and 68 strikeouts across 69 innings this season, as he's performed well in his first extended run as a full-time starter for the Cubs. Assad will attempt to bounce back in his next scheduled start, which tentatively lines up for next week against the Rays on the road.
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Cubs' Javier Assad: Strikes out seven Friday
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Assad didn't factor into the decision Friday against the Reds, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out seven.
Both of the runs charged to Assad came in the fourth inning when the Reds strung together three straight singles. Still, it was a positive effort for Assad overall after he'd given up seven runs (six earned) over 9.2 innings in his previous two outings, though he now has seven or more strikeouts in three of his last four starts. Overall, the 26-year-old right-hander is 4-1 with a 2.27 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 61:26 K:BB through 63.1 innings this season. Assad's currently in line for a rematch with Cincinnati on the road in his next start.
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Cubs' Javier Assad: Takes step back Tuesday
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Assad allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits and five walks while striking out four over 4.2 innings in a no-decision versus Atlanta on Tuesday.
Assad gave up a two-run home run to Orlando Arcia in the second inning and a solo shot to Michael Harris in the fourth. The five walks were also a season high, and it was the fourth time this season Assad has issued three or more free passes. For the season, he's at a 1.70 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 46:20 K:BB through 53 innings across 10 starts. He's had little trouble with the long ball this year, so it's safe to assume he'll continue to find success in run prevention if he can keep the ball down. The right-hander is projected for a road start in St. Louis his next time out.
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Cubs' Javier Assad: One out shy of quality start
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Assad didn't factor into the decision Thursday, allowing one run on four hits and a walk over 5.2 innings against the Astros. He struck out five.
Although Assad was only at 85 pitches, he was pulled one out before becoming eligible for the quality start after allowing a pair of baserunners. Although Assad has completed six innings only once in five starts, he boasts a 2.00 ERA and a 26:9 K:BB with a 2-0 record. He's tentatively scheduled for a start against the Mets early next week.
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Cubs' Javier Assad: Fans seven in no-decision
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Assad pitched five-plus innings against San Diego on Monday, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out seven batters in a no-decision.
The Cubs staked Assad to an 8-0 lead through four frames, and he appeared well on his way to a win after completing five scoreless innings. However, the right-hander gave up a two-run homer to Jake Cronenworth before being pulled in the sixth, and the Padres went on to score five more runs in that frame along with two in the eighth to pull out an improbable comeback victory. Assad's overall line was pretty decent -- he struck out seven and allowed just six baserunners -- though he needed 104 pitches to get 15 outs. He figures to get at least a few more turns in the rotation to try to nail down a permanent starting role with Jameson Taillon (back) not yet ready to make his 2024 debut and Justin Steele (hamstring) out until May.
