In his place, the Cubs will call up reliever Jeff Stevens from Iowa. Stevens, who came over in the Mark DeRosa, has a 2.08 ERA and an impressive 1.09 WHIP in 30 games this season. Stevens is a very smart and experience pitcher for his age, and should find success if given an opportunity in the Cubs bullpen.
Jeff Stevens Archives
Cubs to call up Stevens?
The Cubs optioned Kevin Hart back to Triple-A Iowa to get more work in as a starter. The Cubs would like to have Hart start either the July 19th game against Washington or the July 20th game against the Phillies.
Caridad, Stevens pitch well in Cubs loss
It was a promising outing for Cubs pitching prospects despite a 5-2 loss to New Orleans. The game's starter, Esmalin Caridad, surrendered one hit over four innings and struck out five. Caridad hasn't been spectacular, but he is preforming better than his numbers show. Despite being 3-8, he owns a 4.14 ERA in 15 starts striking out 57 and walking 26.
Caridad was relieved by pitcher Jeff Stevens, who has been one of the top relievers in the Pacific Coast League.
Stevens pitched an inning of relief, striking out two. Stevens is 0-3 in 26 games this season, with a 2.62 ERA and 33 strike outs. He has walked 19, but is holding hitters to a .194 batting average. If the Cubs bullpen continues to struggle, Stevens should be called up. He is way to effective of a reliever to be waiting in the wings in Iowa.
Archer making name for himself
On December 31st, Archer received a call that he was traded to the Cubs.
"Not at all," Archer said when asked if he knew a trade was coming. "It blindsided me. But the Indians farm director did a good job of explaining to me how the Indians want to win now. He said it's an honor to be traded for someone of his caliber, and it is."
Archer was forced at the age of 20 to learn a new organizations philosophy, meet his new teammates, and to continue to develop as a player. That could be an overwhelming task for some young players.
"That's a good point," Archer said. "The Indians are more focused on the mental part of pitching, while the Cubs are focused on the mechanical part. I've taken stuff from both sides, it's pretty good. I was lucky to have my teammate John Gaub come over with me. It would have been a lot tougher meeting everyone."
At 6'3'', 180 pounds, Archer is not the most imposing pitcher on the mound. Yet, he'll attack with his hard fastball and good slider, which has led to more strikeouts. He was pulled after 2 innings against Beloit, his shortest outing of the year.
"I really didn't feel that bad about it, I had just one bad inning. I hit my pitch count. I threw strikes, I just had the one inning get away from me."
SOUNDING OFF with Chris Archer
Josh Vitters: "Everything comes easy to him. He went 0-for-4 in the middle of his hot streak, and came back the next day with two RBIs. Nothing fazes him."
Ryan Flaherty: "I'm impressed by his knowledge of the game. He may not be leading the league in average like some other guys, but his knowledge of hitting will take him far."
Junior Lake: "Lake has a lot of raw talent. He could be like Alfonso Soriano down the road."
Jeff Stevens (Iowa Cubs): "He is on the cusp of making it. He pitched for Team USA, so he is pretty well known around the minors."