Chicago Cubs' pitcher Matt Garza cleared for Spring Training – MLB News
Good news has arrived for the Cubs' fans.
Chicago Cubs announced on Thursday, November 15, that the orthopaedic specialist Dr. Stephan Gryzlo has cleared Matt Garza for offseason routine in preparation for Spring Training. The starter who was taken out of the line-up due to a stress reaction in right elbow back in July can resume training now.
Amid the flurry of activities witnessed lately, this is one of the positive developments that the Chicago Cubs were awaiting. This week, the club struck a one-year contract with the free agent pitcher Scott Baker – adding another arm to the rotation.
The clean scan that Garza got on his elbow will help him prepare from now onwards for a season which is being predicted to be a tough one given the rebuilding process of the club – with all the changes that were recently brought.
The circles here were abuzz with talks about the outlook of the Cubs' rotation next season. The Cubs, as has been widely reported, have been in the pursuit of pitchers to fill the spots in the rotation. Garza, then, brings good news with his arrival.
Turning 29 on November 26, Garza has remained a solid part of the Cubs' rotation. In these years wherein the Cubs were encumbered with numerous uphill tasks and challenges both offensively and defensively, Garza has been doing his best to always provide a good start to the team.
The past season, he had a 5-7 record with 3.91 ERA. Now that he is back, he will be part of the rotation that has in its fold the likes of Travis Wood, Jeff Samardzija and if everything goes right, Scott Baker.
Garza seemed excited on Thursday when his Twitter timeline was inundated with well-wishes by his increasingly eager fans.
"I'm still getting ready for February!! Slow and steady is gonna win this race! #can'twait"
Garza also added, as far as getting ready for spring training is concerned, "I’m cleared for takeoff!! Strap it on tight cause we are going on one helluva ride. …"
It will be interesting to see in the coming days how the pitcher contributes to the strengthening of the rotation.
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