The Chicago Cubs will be without 27-year old lefty swinging catcher Steve Clevenger for the next 6 weeks due to a left oblique strain.  Clevenger has played in 8 games for the Cubs so far this year and is 1 for 9 (.111 avg, .347 OPS) with 1 run scored.  He has now played in 79 games in his first three years with the Cubs and he is 42 of 211 (.199 avg, .537 OPS) with 18 runs scored, 1 homer and 16 RBIs.  This won’t hurt the Cubs too much as they are set up pretty well behind the plate right now with Welington Castillo and Dioner Navarro.

UPDATE:  Clevenger has been placed on the 60-day disabled list by the Cubs.

The Cubs have placed 32-year old righty closer Kyuji Fujikawa on the 15-day disabled list due to a sprained right forearm.  Fujikawa has pitched in 5 games (0 starts) for the Cubs so far this year and he is 1-0 with 2 saves, a 12.46 ERA and a 2.08 WHIP.  37-year old righty Shawn Camp and 27-year old lefty James Russell will likely split the save chances for the Cubs until Fujikawa is ready to return to action.  Camp has pitched in 4 games (0 starts) for the Cubs so far this year and he is 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA and a 2.25 WHIP.  Russell has pitched in 5 games (0 starts) for the Cubs so far this year and he is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA and a 0.33 WHIP.  The Cubs have passed over Carlos Marmol to close for now, showing how far he has slipped down the totem pole in their bullpen.  The Cubs have called up 25-year old righty reliever Rafael Dolis to replace Fujikawa in the bullpen.  He pitched in 3 games (0 starts) for the Cubs in AAA-ball this year and he was 0-0 with a 3.86 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP.  Dolis has pitched in 35 games (0 starts) in his first two years with the Cubs and he is 2-4 with 4 saves, a 6.18 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP.

The Chicago Cubs have acquired 27-year old righty starting 2B Darwin Barney on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to March 31st due to a deep gash in his left knee.  Barney played in 156 games for the Cubs last year and he was 139 of 548 (.254 avg, .653 OPS) with 73 runs scored, 7 homers, 44 RBIs and 6 stolen bases.  He has now played in 329 games in his first three years with the Cubs and he is 304 of 1,156 (.263 avg, .654 OPS) with 151 runs scored, 9 homers, 89 RBIs and 15 stolen bases.  The Cubs will really miss Barney’s glove as he is like Pac Man at 2B as he won his first Gold Glove in 2012.

The Chicago Cubs have placed 22-year old righty reliever Arodys Vizcaino on the 60-day disabled list, as he is still recovering from Tommy John surgery.  He won’t be ready to pitch until around mid-season for the Cubs.  Vizcaino didn’t pitch at all last year.  He pitched in 17 games (0 starts) for the Braves in 2011 and he was 1-1 with a 4.67 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP.  He also pitched in 26 games (17 starts) in A+AA+AAA-ball last year and he was 5-5 with a 3.06 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP.  The Cubs should take things slowly with Vizcaino, as he has a bright future.

27-year old lefty swinging 3B Ian Stewart is going to start the 2013 season on the D.L. for the Cubs due to a quad injury.  He played in 55 games for the Cubs last year and he was 36 for 179 (.201 avg, .627 OPS) with 16 runs scored, 5 homers and 17 RBIs.  27-year old lefty swinging Luis Valbuena will open the 2013 season as the Cubs’ starting 3B.  He played in 90 games for the Cubs last year and he was 58 of 265 (.219 avg, .650 OPS) with 26 runs scored, 4 homers and 28 RBIs.  Stewart and Valbuena are not major league caliber starting 3B, so the Cubs are going to have a hole in their lineup.

UPDATE:  (4/1/2013) - Ian Stewart has been officially placed on the 15-day disabled list by the Chicago Cubs.

31-year old righty starting pitcher Scott Baker is going to miss at least all of April as he continues to recover from Tommy John Surgery which knocked him out for the entire 2012 season.  Baker pitched in 1 game (1 start) for the Cubs in spring training and he was 0-0 with a 81.00 ERA and a 15.00 WHIP.  Baker only lasted 1/3 of an inning in his only appearance this spring.  Baker has not pitched in the majors since 2011 with the Twins.  He has pitched in 163 games (159 starts) in his first seven years in the majors and he is 63-48 with a 4.15 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP.

UPDATE:  (4/1/2013) - The Cubs have placed Scott Baker on the 60-day disabled list to start the 2013 season.

The Cubs will be without 22-year old righty swinging SS/3B Junior Lake for the next 4-6 weeks due to a stress fracture in his top rib on the right side.  Lake played in 103 games in AA-ball for the Cubs last year and he was 113 of 405 (.279 avg, .773 OPS) with 56 runs scored, 10 homers, 50 RBIs and 21 stolen bases.  He has now played in 579 games in his first six years in the minors and he is 565 of 2,098 (.269 avg, .727 OPS) with 328 runs scored, 43 homers, 242 RBIs and 103 stolen bases.  Lake came into this season as the Cubs’ #15 prospect according to Baseball America.

The Cubs are going to be without 29-year old righty starting pitcher Matt Garza at the start of the 2013 season due to a strained lat muscle.  He will likely be out until May.  This is a big blow to the Cubs as Garza was supposed to be their #1 starter in 2013.  Garza pitched in 18 games (all starts) for the Cubs last year and he was 5-7 with a 3.91 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP.  He has now pitched in 170 games (167 starts) in his first seven years in the majors and he is 57-61 with 1 save, a 3.84 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP.  The Cubs were lucky that they signed some free agent starting pitchers over the winter as Garza is becoming more than a little injury prone for them.

UPDATE:  (4/1/2013) - Matt Garza has been officially placed on the 15-day D.L. to start the 2013 season.

The Chicago Cubs have placed 27-year old righty reliever Blake Parker on the 60-day disabled list due to a bone contusion in his right elbow. Parker pitched in 7 games (0 starts) for the Cubs this year and he was 0-0 with a 6.00 ERA and a 2.50 WHIP. He gave up 10 hits (3 of which were homers) and he walked 5 batters while whiffing 6 of them in 6 innings for the Cubs this year. Parker also pitched in 21 games (0 starts) in AAA-ball this year for the Cubs in which he was 1-1 with 6 saves, a 3.42 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP. The Cubs shouldn’t miss Parker too much the rest of the way this year.

The Cubs have officially shut down 28-year old righty starting pitcher Matt Garza for the rest of the 2012 season due to a stress reaction in his right elbow. Garza pitched in 18 games (all starts) for the Cubs this year and he was 5-7 with a 3.91 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. He has now pitched in 49 games (all starts) in his first two years with the Cubs and he is 15-17 with a 3.52 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. This is a bad break for Garza and the Cubs, as he always seems to keep them in the game when he starts.