Right-handed pitcher Javier Assad will make his 2025 debut Tuesday night as the 28-year-old has been activated from the injured list. Assad was shut down early in spring training with an oblique strain and then suffered a setback in April, when he was on a rehab assignment at Triple-A with the Iowa Cubs. Now, Assad is healthy and is back in the starting rotation.
Ben Brown was the scheduled starter for the series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday, but that has been changed to Assad.
Assad made his MLB debut during the 2022 season with the Cubs. Since then, the right-hander has been a steady performer no matter what role he's been asked to fill. Assad has a career 3.40 ERA in 294 innings. In 2024, Assad made 29 starts and ended the season with a 3.73 ERA in 140 innings of work.
Javier Assad Career Splits
As Starter: 47 G, 3.45 ERA, 7.4 K/9, 3.8 BB/9
As Reliever: 23 G, 3.18 ERA, 8.6 K/9, 3.7 BB/9
The Cubs optioned right-handed reliever Nate Pearson to Triple-A following Sunday's series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals. Pearson tossed four shutout innings in a pair of two inning appearances.
Assad's last outing at Triple-A was on Aug. 6. He pitched 4.1 innings and threw 68 pitches. So, we're probably looking at Craig Counsell taking out Assad after 75 pitches or so against the Blue Jays tonight and then potentially go with Brown right after.
Starting pitching hasn't necessarily been the problem for the Cubs despite how irate the fan base was following the trade deadline. Michael Soroka was the only starter added to the roster and he only pitched two innings before going on the injured list with a shoulder issue. Yet, since the beginning of July, the rotation has actually been great for the Cubs.
The offense has been slumping and guys like Kyle Tucker, Seiya Suzuki and Michael Busch along with Pete Crow-Armstrong have to bounce back for this team to get back to winning. Still, it's good to have another solid arm back in the mix with Assad coming back.
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