Fox headed to DL; Ascanio to get call-up -

HOUSTON -- The Cubs' pitching carousel continued Monday night with the news that reliever Chad Fox will go on the disabled list today with irritation in his pitching elbow. Prospect Jose Ascanio will be called up from Class AAA Iowa to take his place.

Chad Fox's injury history continues. Ascanio is the better pitcher, anyway. Ascanio debuted with two scoreless innings in tonight's 4-2 loss to the Houston Astros.

Many of us long for the day when a manager's management of the bullpen is not dictated by that nefarious of taskmasters: the save statistic. Since Cubs' closer Ryan Dempster has been injured following the game on June 22, Lou Piniella has been freed. The Cubs have won seven of eight since Dempster's oblique injury (in addition to the last game Dempster pitched in). Piniella initially announced that Bob Howry would be the closer in Dempster's absence, as the Chicago Tribune reported. During Dempster's absence, however, three different relievers have notched saves -- Howry (2), lefty Will Ohman (1), and bullet-throwing Carlos Marmol (1).

Read more below the fold.

Billy Petrick has to be a bit demoralized right now. A day after throwing two shutout innings to hold the five-run leading Milwaukee Brewers at bay, and thus playing a big role in the Cubs' exciting comeback win, the Cubs sent Petrick to Iowa in favor of a reliever with a 6.75 ERA at Iowa, Rocky Cherry. No reported explanation from the team yet, but it is likely this has to do with the Cubs' continued inability to get anything of value for Jacque Jones in a trade and get back up to twelve relievers. Petrick having thrown two innings yesterday, and the bullpen having thrown six overall, the Cubs likely felt they needed another fresh reliever.

Ryan Dempster, who was initially supposed to be ready yesterday, and then today, was feeling his strained left oblique even when jogging, was placed on the 15-day disabled list today. To take his spot, the Cubs purchased the contract of their 2002 3rd round draft pick, Billy Petrick, 23, from double-A Tennessee. To make room for Petrick on the 40-man roster, the Cubs placed Wade Miller on the 60-day disabled list.

The Cubs are still at eleven pitchers. Lou Piniella said before tonight's game they will be back up to twelve for tomorrow night's game, reports MLB.com. Piniella also said that Felix Pie and his 648 OPS are here to stay. Jacque Jones is still on the roster, but he is not playing. Whoever wants him can have him tomorrow, it appears.

The Angel Guzman as future closer story is certainly on hold, following his being on placed on the 15-day disabled list yesterday. Guzman has right forearm tightness. Assistant GM Randy Bush said, "He has some injury history going back [I'll say!], so we feel for his own peace of mind we'll let the doctor look at it."

Carlos Marmol will now be the new late-inning fad.

It is interesting that the Cubs decided to call up Sean Gallagher, 21, from double-A Tennessee to take Guzman's spot. Gallagher has only pitched out of the bullpen one time in his minor league career, that occurring with the Cubs' rookie ball team in Mesa in 2004. He will also have to added to the 40-man roster. Who will be taken off? Perhaps Wade Miller or Brian Dopirak. Meanwhile, the Cubs leave Neal Cotts, Clay Rapada, and Rocky Cherry -- all already on the 40-man roster -- in Iowa.

The Daily Herald's Bruce Miles writes in today's paper that "there have been rumblings that Piniella is growing impatient with the roster given to him by Hendry." I'd be curious to know what Piniella wants.

The Cubs are currently 6th in the National League in runs scored, but there are certainly problems on offense. Three of the top four outfielders have slugging percentages below .400. Jacque Jones, Matt Murton, and Cliff Floyd have just four home runs between them. None of them have ever had slugging percentages that low over a full season, excepting Floyd's rookie year as a 21-year-old in 1994. Jones is hitting .245/.302/.335 as the starting centerfielder. Much more of that and the Cubs will be compelled to replace him with Felix Pie for good. The trouble is that Jones is signed through next season, and for $6.3M.

The Cubs are 4th in the National League in fewest runs allowed per game (4.19). Yet Lou Piniella has decided to throw the pitchers in a blender, open the lid, and allow everyone to fall where they may. Good strategy or no, it makes for exciting times. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Ryan Dempster might be entering the rotation within a week or two. Angel Guzman (0 minor league saves) will soon become the Cubs' closer.

The exact timing of this is unclear. After Sunday's game, Dempster said he was moving into rotation. Then, after a meeting, he emerged and said not yet. But, the move of Guzman to closer "is imminent, according to a source close to the manager."

It bears remembering that Dempster has been a successful starting pitcher in exactly one season, that being seven years ago when he was 23-years-old.

Meanwhile, the ostensible setup men, Bobby Howry and Scott Eyre, have been getting beat up this year, and new bullpen member Carlos Marmol is throwing bullets like no one in the Cubs' pen since Kyle Farnsworth.

Another sign of the futility of this Cubs' season, from Elias: "When Dusty Baker called for Jae-Kuk Ryu to pitch the ninth inning of the Cubs' 14-6 win over the Brewers, it marked Chicago's 522nd pitching change of the season, a new major league record. The previous mark was set by Felipe Alou's Giants in 2004."

There's also an impressive nugget about Greg Maddux in the linked article.