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 (19th 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.
