Brandon Morrow in decline

CHICAGO – The Cubs were hoping Brandon Morrow would be no farther away than the first month of the season, but the pitcher's return after a right elbow injury was put on hold.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon said on Saturday that Morrow (on the 10-day injury list) had not recovered well from

CHICAGO – The Cubs were hoping to get closer Brandon Morrow Only the first month of the season is missing, but the pitcher's return after a right elbow injury has been put on hold.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Saturday that Morrow (on the 10-day injury list) had not recovered from a mound session that began this week, forcing the club to stop the replacement for the moment. There is currently no schedule announced for the 34-year-old – who signed a $ 21 million contract two years before last season – to return to the mound.

"The rebound after the last outing was not as good," Maddon said. "So, we have to go back one more time and slow down, that's where it is." It's reminiscent of what had happened [at times last season]. The trend was very good and then, as I said, this last time, just not as good. So, we just have to pay attention to what he says. "

Without Morrow, the Chicago market has had some ups and downs in the first few weeks of the season, but has moved in the right direction lately. In the first seven games of the season, the scorer posted a deserved points total of 8.54 with 31 strikeouts against 21 goals in 26 1/3 of the time. Entering Saturday, the Cubs' relief corps had an ERA of 2.65 with 36 strikeouts and 19 throws in 34 innings in 11 games, dating back to April 6th.

Law Pedro Strop was the closest Chicago-less Morrow and will continue to do so at least until Morrow returns.

Morrow had a silver medal of 1.47 in 35 games with Chicago last season, but suffered two injuries on the injury list. His season ended on July 19 due to a bruise to the right forearm bone and inflammation of the right bicep. After Morrow continued to feel embarrassed, a CT scanner later in the year revealed an osteochondral defect (what Morrow described as a "divot" in the spring) in the bone of the nose. ;humerus. This led to a debridement procedure to clean the joint in November.

Morrow launched pen sessions towards the end of the spring training and he hoped to be ready for activation by the end of April or early May. The last failure – unspecified as to the right's upcoming launch schedule – makes it difficult to project when Morrow could be available again.

"Especially when you have a very good year – maybe your best year – it's disappointing," Morrow said during spring training about his injury problems during his tenure with the Cubs. "We feel like dropping the team and the fans, among other things, we can not do anything except try to come back."

Lester launches the simulation game
Veteran of the Cubs Jon Lester Perhaps he had not been delighted with the way his fields worked on the Wrigley Field mound on Saturday morning, but Maddon liked what he saw. Lester finished a simulated match of 45 shots – the first job left of the butte since he was injured at the left tendon tendon on April 8 – and the manager was impressed.

"He was very hypercritical, I thought he looked good," Maddon said before Saturday's game against the D-backs. "It's not at all restrained, so it's very encouraging." The next step is tomorrow, and see how he feels about it: "How do you feel your leg? How do you feel the arm? "the spirits surrounded around this, we will definitely make our plans."

Between the simulated heats, the Cubs' training staff had Lester perform a series of agility exercises in no-fault territory to test the pitcher's legs.

"It was more indicative of a real launch event," said Maddon, who added that "it's not impossible" to think that Lester might be able to remove from the list of 10-day wounded at some point next week.

To note
• As Saturday's action approached, the Cubs' rotation had a 1.56 ERA with 57 strikeouts and 8 walks in 52 innings in the eight games that followed the pass. from Lester to the list of wounded. Recipient Willson Contreras After his victory on Friday, he felt that losing Lester had helped focus the attention of the other arms on the stick.

"They became really strong," Maddon nodded. "But, that's also what they're capable of.Maybe you just have to be a little screwed up in the pants, but that's all they're capable of. we could look like it's absolutely what we can look like a team of pitchers. "

• Maddon made a point to check with Ian Happ (currently at Triple-A Iowa) on the recent Cubs road trip. "I actually talked to Ian while we were in Miami." Good conversation with him. "He felt like he was making progress, and that's all." I just wanted to let him know that I was staying in. contact and that I was watching what was happening. "

• Right-handed Tony Barnette (10-day IL, inflammation of the right shoulder) is scheduled to begin Sunday in a minor league reeducation mission with Triple-A Iowa. Lefty Xavier Cedeño (10-day IL, left wrist inflammation) was to continue a minor league rehab assignment with Double-A Tennessee on Saturday.