Chicago Cubs' Brett Jackson tentative as Darwin Barney gets a day off – MLB News
The Chicago Cubs' manager Dale Sveum said on Tuesday, September 11, that Brett Jackson might not be able to start until Friday. Jackson had ended up bruising his knee in the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates last Friday.
Tuesday’s game against the Houston Astros – if he fails to play, will be the fourth that he will have missed since then. With his absence from the field, questions were raised about the possible return of the player.
However, Dale Sveum did not rule out the possibility of playing Jackson as the pinch hitter to assess whether or not the latter is fit enough to play.
"It's just still stiff and sore," Sveum said. "He might be available [to pinch-hit Tuesday], actually. We'll see how the running goes."
Crashing into the outfield wall last Friday at PNC Park, Jackson had ended up injuring his knee. As marvellous as the catch was, it came with a price. Nonetheless, it is now David DeJesus who is playing in centre field.
Regular batting practice and some running for Jackson shall start on Wednesday. That will actually make it abundantly clear whether or not he can be included in the line-up for the remainder of games.
On the other hand, the Chicago Cubs have decided to give a day off to the second baseman Darwin Barney on Tuesday. Adrian Cardenas shall have a day at second base in Tuesday’s game to be played against the Houston Astros.
Dale Sveum explained the reason why the club decided to give a day off to Barney. "It's just a time to get the other guys a start here," manager Dale Sveum said. "He's played a lot of games in a row again. We'll give him a little breather."
It is pertinent to mention Barney has been one of the players with most games in the Chicago Cubs this season, appearing in total of 136.
With Jackson facing tentative schedule, and a day off for Barney, it will be interesting to see how the Cubs confront the Houston Astros and its potential impact on the performance of the team.
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