Bryant sits with nagging left shoulder
CHICAGO -- Cubs third baseman Kristopher Bryant did not start Tuesday because of discomfort in his left shoulder, and he may not be in the lineup on Wednesday either to give him time to rest."He's a little bit sore. I have to be proactive with that," Cubs manager Joe Maddon
CHICAGO -- Cubs third baseman
"He's a little bit sore. I have to be proactive with that," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Tuesday. "I want to make sure we're not pushing it too hard right now."
Bryant was on the disabled list from June 26-July 11 because of inflammation in his left shoulder, and he is batting .250 in 10 games since being activated, hitting two home runs with eight RBIs. He struck out twice on Monday night in a 7-1 loss to the D-backs.
"Let's not mess with this now," Maddon said. "Rest would be the best thing for him now, but we're not necessarily ready to do that. For right now, it's trying to manage it and get him through the season. Hopefully, he can participate."
Butler activated from DL; Farrell sent down
The Cubs activated right-handed pitcher Eddie Butler from the 60-day disabled list on Tuesday and optioned
Butler, 27, was placed on the disabled list April 20 because of a right groin strain. He's made five rehab starts with Iowa and pitched Thursday in Memphis, giving up one run on four hits and no walks with one strikeout over five innings.
"I'm here to help the team," said Butler, who can pitch in relief or make a spot start.
The right-hander was on the Cubs' Opening Day roster and went 0-1 with a 4.30 ERA in six relief outings before getting hurt.
Farrell, 27, has gone 3-4 with a 5.17 ERA in 20 outings, including two starts. On Monday, he lasted 3 1/3 innings against he D-backs and took the loss, giving up six runs.
Maddon did not have any update regarding closer
"He's not ready yet," Maddon said. "There's no finish line yet."
Darvish throws off mound
Maddon said they'll evaluate the right-hander on Wednesday to determine the next step.
"It went well. There was no horrible discomfort, so that's a positive," Maddon said.
Worth noting
•
• The Cubs'
Every Sunday, beginning this Sunday, the 16-week campaign will feature intimate stories of 12 cancer patients and their families. The patients participating in the initiative have been treated at University of Chicago Medicine and represent a wide range of ages, races and cancer diagnoses, including many who have participated in clinical trials and leading-edge treatments.
• Cubs outfielder
SURPRISE! @kschwarb12 and @ClarktheCub are here visiting our Adult Down Syndrome Center. pic.twitter.com/NvB04BIes8
— Advocate Health Care (@advocatehealth) July 24, 2018
Carrie Muskat has covered the Cubs since 1987, and for MLB.com since 2001. You can follow her on Twitter @CarrieMuskat.