Jackson, Vitters don't get callup consideration

CHICAGO -- Last year, the Cubs promoted past first-round Draft picks Brett Jackson and Josh Vitters to the big leagues in August, but neither one was a consideration for a September callup this season.

Both Jackson and Vitters have battled injuries this year. After batting .223 in 61 games with Triple-A Iowa, Jackson went to Arizona to rehab, and was then assigned to Double-A Tennessee, where he is batting .191 in 28 games.

Vitters has been limited to 28 games at Iowa, and is batting .295, but he's gotten only 88 at-bats.

The Cubs' callups so far have been two players activated from the disabled list (Ryan Sweeney and Luis Valbuena), and right-handed reliever Alberto Cabrera from Iowa.

"We don't have the young kids who are coming up like last year with Brett Jackson and Vitters," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. "This year, we have some older guys, some left-handed bats who are obviously in the mix for next year and we want to look at and evaluate."

Vitters was the Cubs' first-round Draft pick in 2007, while Jackson was the first-round selection in 2009. Where they fit into the Cubs' plans is still to be determined.

"Things have changed a great deal with them missing so much time this year," Sveum said. "The player-development part of this year has been pretty much lost for both of them. It'll be a wait-and-see thing this winter."