MESA, Ariz. – Here’s a reminder not to jump to conclusions in the first week of spring training games. With rookie Hayden Wesneski’s start against the Mariners on Wednesday, the Cubs made it through the rotation once. But it’s too early to say who will claim the fifth rotation spot come opening day.
This week, manager David Ross listed the factors he’s weighing as he mulls the decision: strikes, pitchability, velocities, how the hitters they face are seeing the ball.
Right-hander Adrian Sampson was the first of the Cubs’ fifth starter candidates to get into a spring game. He piggy backed Marcus Stroman’s start in the spring training opener and is expected to slide into Stroman’s spot in the rotation when he leaves to join Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball classic.
Sampson’s first start of the spring included a lot of hard contact. He gave up three home runs to the Giants in 1 ⅔ innings. But he also was the Cubs’ best pitcher in September, with a .163 ERA the last month of the season.
“Thinking that you deserve things is not a good way to look at stuff,” Sampson said earlier in spring. “So I’m just trying to keep my head down and try to work on it and get better.”
Rookie Javier Assad was up next, starting in place of Justin Steele (arm fatigue). He had the best results of the trio, throwing two perfect innings.
“They’re strikes, the tempo was there,” Ross said, “already being able to throw secondary pitches for strikes behind in the count, ahead in the count.”
Assad made some mechanical tweaks and embraced a velocity program over the offseason. Both seem to be paying dividends, but it’s hard to say the lasting impact with such a small sample size.
Wesneski sparked headlines last season with a strong introduction to the big-leagues and an immaculate inning in his second MLB start.
In two scoreless innings Wednesday, he held the Mariners to one hit, issued one walk (on a clock violation) and struck out four.
“It’s a different mindset,” he said of competing for a rotation spot out of spring training. “But I go back to just doing your job.”
Back on track
Steele’s bullpen Tuesday went well, Ross said. He’s on track to make his next start, after being scratched from the lineup Sunday.
Steele was originally lined up behind Stroman, who pitched in the Cubs’ Cactus League opener, so the southpaw is expected to take the mound Friday for his first start of the spring.
In other injury news
Third baseman Patrick Wisdom remains day-to-day with a tight left groin. He was out of the lineup Wednesday after being scratched the previous two days. He remains day-to-day.
“It was a little bit better yesterday,” Ross said. “But still didn’t want to push it. … He feels like if the season was starting he would be playing in a game.”
Right-handed pitcher Jordan Holloway, a non-roster invitee, left his outing Monday with an injury. On Wednesday, the Cubs announced he had sustained a moderate strain to his right oblique.
