With third baseman Dave Magadan anxious to come off the disabled list and pitcher Steve Trachsel counting the days until his callup from Double-A ball, the Cubs face another set of prickly roster decisions.
Magadan is recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his left hand and is scheduled to join the team this weekend in San Francisco. He could be activated as early as Monday, or the Cubs could ask him to accept a rehabilitation assignment. If healthy, he has the option of declining the rehab offer and then would be added to the team’s 25-man roster.
From the Cubs’ perspective, the rehab assignment makes sense for two reasons: Magadan, who had a bone spur removed March 11, had virtually no spring training. A brief stay in the minors (up to 20 days) would give him a chance to face live pitching; Jose Hernandez, Magadan’s replacement, is hitting .286, with six runs batted in and just one error.
If Magadan says no, the Cubs would have to send out one player as early as Monday and another on Tuesday, when Trachsel returns from the minors and makes his first scheduled start against the Cincinnati Reds.
Rookie outfielder Brooks Kieschnick is the likely choice for Triple-A Iowa if Magadan comes back early next week. Less clear is the Cubs’ decision when Trachsel is added to the roster.
Rookie reliever Terry Adams has options remaining, but he also has pitched well in his first two outings, already recording one victory in relief and striking out seven without giving up a walk.
Another possibility would be veteran left-handed reliever Larry Casian. Casian has no options remaining. If he accepted a trip to the minors, the Cubs would be obligated to pay him his major-league salary of $225,000.
Statistics of note: For the first time since last Sept. 27, the Cubs hit back-to-back home runs. Luis Gonzalez and Scott Servais did the honors. It was Gonzalez’s first of the season, while Servais now has four in seven games. His career high is 13.
