Javier Assad Answers the Call for the Cubs
Heading into the season, Cubs fans most likely assumed that Javier Assad would be making starts occasionally throughout the year.
But with the way injuries have impacted this club, Assad is now set up to start regularly—for now.
Before being called back up to the Major Leagues on June 6th, Assad had thrown twenty-six innings, allowing seventeen earned runs.
That is good for an earned run average of 5.88, which isn’t a good spot for any pitcher to be in, but it is also unusual for Assad.
Javy has been with the Cubs since 2022, and he has consistently had an earned run average in the threes, so the start to the season wasn’t up to the level fans knew he could be at.
Assad has shown what he can do at the big-league level, and when his number was called against the Giants this week, he answered.
The Cubs’ pitching staff has really struggled with injuries thus far. Starting the season without Justin Steele, a season-ending injury for Cade Horton, and time spent on the injured list for both Edward Cabrera and Matthew Boyd, the Cubs have been short-handed. On top of the injuries the Cubs have had to endure, Jameson Taillon went down with a hamstring injury last Sunday. Taillon exited the game in the second inning, and the Cubs needed someone who could not only help them win the rubber match against the Giants but also eat innings to preserve the bullpen. Javier Assad then entered the game and did more than manager Craig Counsell could have ever asked for.
Assad pitched six and a third innings, allowing just one hit to keep the Cubs in an extremely low-scoring game that had a total of three runs. This was an extremely efficient outing as well, throwing only seventy-two pitches and walking one hitter. A performance like this wasn’t out of the realm of possibility, as Cubs fans know what he is capable of, but the circumstances surrounding this performance are what make it so special. The combination of getting called up one day before and also getting thrown into the game after an injury usually doesn’t lead to success for pitchers. To follow that up, Assad made another start against the Giants this past Friday and once again threw six shutout innings.
There is a lot of significance behind these two showings from Javy.
A pitcher not allowing any runs over six innings is impressive, but doing it against the same team that you faced five days before is incredible. For the Cubs as a team, they need as many pitchers as possible to step up and perform with the injuries they have had thus far. Assad’s performance this past week is something that any pitcher in the Majors would want, but during a time in his career when he has not been playing well, and during a time that this club needed him, he came through in a big way.
As for what’s next for Assad, that remains to be seen. While he is getting opportunities now, once the injured pitchers return, Counsell will have to either use him differently or send him back to Iowa.
His future with the Cubs this year may be uncertain, but what he did this past week is certainly special.
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