Let The Debate Begin!- Andrew Cashner Will Officially Start Tonight For the Padres

The recent call up of promising first baseman and former Padre Anthony Rizzo has Chicago Cubs’ fans everywhere relishing in Rizzo Mania.

Rizzo’s debut as a Cub – 2-for-4 with an RBI double- was the talk of the baseball world, and had some local baseball pundits and Padres’ fans instantly crowning the Cubs as the winners in the Anthony Rizzo-Andrew Cashner trade that took place this off-season.

Even though Cashner has pitched in the Major Leagues this year, the debate officially begins.

That is because the Padres just recalled Cashner from Double-A San Antonio. To make room for Cashner on the 25-man roster, the Padres optioned right-hander Brad Brach to Triple-A Tucson.

Cashner is scheduled to start tonight’s game against his hometown Astros.

The 2008  first round draft pick of the Chicago Cubs (19^th overall)  opened the season with the Padres going 3-3 with a 3.81 ERA and 34 strikeouts against 18 walks in  in 28 games, (one start) overall this season.

But the debate should really heat up now because this is supposed to be a new and improved Cashner.

The Padres optioned the 25-year-old Texan to Double-A San Antonio on June 10, to condition him as a starter and to work on his fastball command. He was sent down a day after making his first start as a Padre going 2 1/3 innings inMilwaukee.

Cashner compiled a 2-0 record with a 1.88 ERA and 22 strikeouts against three walks in three starts with the San Antonio Missions.

Over parts of three Major League seasons with the Chicago Cubs (2010-11) and Padres (2012), Cashner has gone 5-9 with a 4.15 ERA (43 ER/93.1 IP) in 88 games (two starts).

Brach, 26, was in his second stint with the Padres. Over his two stints this year,  he went  0-1 with a 4.23 ERA with 31 strikeouts against 22 walks in 27 relief outings.