With Cabrera returning from IL, Cubs make tough pitching decisions 

CHICAGO -- There have been times this season when the Cubs’ rotation depth was thinned to the point of wondering how the team would fill out a five-man staff. Things have changed in the wake of the Trade Deadline and with Edward Cabrera coming off the injured list on Sunday.

The depth of Chicago’s starting group is in a solid place, which created a bit of a puzzle for Cubs manager Craig Counsell and his staff to solve. With Cabrera back in the fold, righty Javier Assad was the odd man out in the rotation and was optioned to Triple-A Iowa.

“At this point, the decision we made was just to preserve every pitcher we could,” Counsell said before Sunday’s game. “Certainly, in Javy’s shoes, that doesn’t feel fair. But I think from a depth perspective, this was a way to preserve everybody and keep maximum depth and move forward from there.”

Counsell also noted that veteran lefty David Peterson will move into the bullpen, joining righties Colin Rea and Aaron Civale as multi-inning options behind the starting cast. Rea and Assad were bumped to relief roles after the Cubs landed veteran starters Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes at the Trade Deadline.

That means the current five-man staff includes lefty Matthew Boyd, lefty Shota Imanaga, Gausman, Holmes and Cabrera.

On the season, Assad has logged a 3.59 ERA in 80 1/3 innings between 11 relief outings and 10 starts. Dating back to the beginning of May, the righty has turned in a 2.35 ERA in 16 appearances, which include nine relief efforts, seven starts, four games finished and a pair of saves. Counsell said Assad will start for Triple-A Iowa in his next appearance.

Peterson -- acquired in June in a trade with the Mets after both Cabrera and Ben Brown landed on the IL -- has given Chicago a 4.19 ERA overall in eight starts. The lefty has spun a 2.14 ERA in his past six turns, but did have experience as a reliever before coming to the North Siders. Peterson had a 4.11 ERA in eight relief outings (30 2/3 innings) for the Mets earlier this year.

Cabrera has been sidelined since straining his left hamstring and adductor in a start against the Mets on June 23, but recently completed three rehab starts with strong results. Counsell said this past week that he felt sticking with a five-man rotation was the best approach for the Cubs.

“I think five starters is what we have to use here to protect everybody else,” Counsell said. “It just means somebody’s not going to start for at least one time through. And I don’t think we’re bound to any of this. We’re bound to certainly one time through the rotation, but we’re not bound to any of it.

“That’s why keeping guys lengthened out is on your mind a little bit here. Rest. Does someone need rest? Does that make sense? We’ve got all those things -- kind of juggling those things, too -- in the background a little bit. We’ll try to figure out the best thing to do.”