September call-ups are just around the corner, and left-hander Will Ohman is one of a half-dozen or so players who will be given an opportunity to help the Cubs down the stretch.
Ohman left the club amid controversy when he was demoted to Triple-A Iowa three weeks ago, claiming his shoulder was hurting when he was sent down and that the medical staff was aware of it.
The Cubs denied having any knowledge Ohman was hurt, and some players were upset with the implication trainer Mark O’Neal was hiding medical information from the team.
But while discussing call-ups on Wednesday, general manager Jim Hendry didn’t mention Ohman’s stormy exit.
“I don’t see any problem with Will coming back,” Hendry said. “He’s throwing the ball better.
“I don’t want to go name by name, but we’re not going to be short. We’ll wind up with 32-34 guys by probably the 5th or 6th of September.”
Hendry said the Cubs will call up a few players at a time, including three or four Saturday, the first day rosters can expand.
Ohman, Geovany Soto, Carmen Pignatiello, Eric Patterson and Ronny Cedeno are likely to return from Iowa, and the Cubs will need a starting pitcher for a doubleheader Sept. 15 in St. Louis.
Sean Gallagher, who is 3-1 with a 2.66 ERA at Iowa, is a prime candidate, but Hendry mentioned another possibility is Iowa right-hander Kevin Hart, who was acquired from Baltimore last December for outfielder Freddie Bynum.
Hart is 4-1 at Iowa with a 3.54 ERA, after going 7-5 with a 4.45 ERA at Double-A Tennessee.
“He’s 9-1 since the middle of June, so he’s going to have a start this week,” Hendry said.
Hendry said fans shouldn’t put too much stock into the 25-man roster on Aug. 31, the day before call-ups, because if the Cubs make the postseason they can substitute players on the postseason roster by replacing those currently on the disabled list: Mark Prior, Angel Guzman, Roberto Novoa and Angel Pagan, who is expected back in September.
“Everyone makes a bigger deal out of this than it is,” Hendry said.
“You’re allowed not only your 25, but an inventory of everybody that’s on your DL, including 60-day DL guys. And they’re all wild cards. You can substitute anyone from the system for Mark Prior, and they can be on the playoff roster. …
“Everybody thinks if you’re not in the dugout by Saturday, you’re not eligible. It couldn’t be further from the truth.
