Results tagged ‘ Luis Valbuena ’
2/23 Cubs 11, Angels 2
Luis Valbuena led off the second inning with a home run, Junior Lake added a solo shot, and the Cubs scored five runs in the third to post a 11-2 victory Saturday over the Angels in the Cactus League opener in Tempe. Logan Watkins tripled to open the third and scored two outs later on Scott Hairston’s single. Brett Jackson hit his second triple of the game, driving in two, and Welington Castillo and Brent Lillibridge each hit RBI singles.
Lefty Travis Wood gave up one hit, walked one, and struck out two in two innings in his first start. Rule 5 pick Hector Rondon gave up one hit in one inning in his Cubs debut. Dontrelle Willis, who is in the Cubs’ Minor League mini camp and has not pitched in the big leagues since 2011, was on the travel squad, but did not pitch.
– Carrie Muskat
2/23 Stewart out 10-14 days
An MRI shows Ian Stewart has a mild to moderate quad strain, and he could be sidelined 10 to 14 days.
“I got the MRI [Friday] and that’s just kind of a vague timetable right now just to see how things progress,” Stewart said Saturday. “I feel like it’s progressing pretty good today. I woke up today and didn’t feel as much stiffness as I had.”
He injured his left quad while turning around first base after hitting a double in his first at-bat Thursday in an intrasquad game.
“Hopefully, it’s not that long [that he's sidelined] and it’s a precautionary length,” he said.
Cubs manager Dale Svem has said Luis Valbuena could be the option at third if Stewart isn’t healthy. Does this hurt Stewart’s chances?
“I would hope not,” Stewart said. “I feel like I was brought back to be a part of the team and to help this team and I feel like I can do that. This is unfortunate but I think if this was toward the end of camp or the middle, it may be a different story. It is disappointing because I put all that work in in the offseason and my wrist is good and had that first good at-bat of camp, even though it was the first intrasquad. My confidence is so high on my ability that this is a little road block that hopefully doesn’t last the amount of time they said and I can get out there sooner.”
Stewart signed a $2 million non-guaranteed contract, but he says he’s not thinking about the terms.
“If I didn’t think I could come back here and be a part of the team, there’s no sense in me coming back,” he said. “I have all the confidence in the world. I came back to be a part of the Major League team. I’m not even thinking about that right now.”
– Carrie Muskat
2/22 Extra bases
* Travis Wood will start the Cubs’ Cactus League opener Saturday against the Angels. Here’s the lineup for the game, to be played in Tempe and broadcast on WGN Radio. Len Kasper will be subbing for Pat Hughes, who will be in Arizona later this spring:
Watkins 2B
Sappelt CF
Rizzo 1B
Hairston RF
Valbuena 3B
Castillo C
Jackson LF
Lillibridge SS
McDonald DH
* Luis Valbuena hit a two-run homer and Edwin Maysonet added a three-run shot for the White team which beat the Blue team, 6-3, on Friday in a Cubs intrasquad game at HoHoKam Stadium. Brett Jackson was 3-for-3 for the Blue team.
Sveum has raved about Valbuena’s defensive skills and said this spring that third base is Ian Stewart’s job to win. But Stewart is sidelined with a strained left quad. Could Valbuena be the Cubs starting third baseman?
“Like I said, it was [Stewart's] job to win, not to lose,” Sveum said. “Things might change because who knows when Stewart will be back to play. I know Valbuena can play third. He doesn’t need to play third to get his at-bats.
“The guy had good winter ball, and obviously put a good swing on a ball today,” Sveum said after Friday’s intrasquad game, in which Valbuena hit a two-run home run. “I’m not too concerned about Valbuena. I need to see him everywhere. If things work out that way, then yeah, he’ll be playing third base quite a bit. First half of spring you’ll see him a lot more at other positions.”
* Third baseman Josh Vitters was day to day with a strained left quad, which he injured running the bases during drills. He was not expected to undergo an MRI on his leg.
“I’m just going to take it easy,” Vitters said.
* Scott Baker, rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, will throw a side session on Saturday, and then be re-evaluated. As of now, Baker has not been scheduled to pitch in a Cactus League game, manager Dale Sveum said. Baker, who had the surgery last April, was not expected to be ready by Opening Day.
– Carrie Muskat
1/31 Winter league update
Luis Valbuena went 1-for-4, but it wasn’t enough as Magallanes defeated Lara, 11-9, in the deciding Game 7 of the Venezuelan championship on Wednesday. The Giants’ Pablo Sandoval had three hits, including a two-run homer, to power Magallanes into the Caribbean Series, which begins Friday in Hermosillo, Mexico. Former Cubs prospect Austin Bibens-Dirkx started for Magallanes and gave up five runs — including two in the first — on seven hits over three innings.
– Carrie Muskat
1/30 Winter League update
Luis Valbuena hit a solo homer but it wasn’t enough Tuesday as Magallanes topped Lara, 7-3, to force a deciding seventh game in the Venezuelan championship series. Valbuena was 1-for-3, and batting .345 in the postseason. Game 7 will be played Wednesday.
– Carrie Muskat
1/29 Winter league update
Luis Valbuena scored the game-winning run on Jose Yepez’s 11th inning single to lift Lara to a 3-2 win over Carlos Zambrano and Magallanes on Monday in the Venezuelan championship series. Valbuena was 1-for-4, but reached in the 11th on an error. Zambrano gave up two runs, one earned, on eight hits over six innings, striking out five. Lara leads the best-of-seven series, 3-2, with Game 6 on Tuesday. The winner advances to the Caribbean Series.
– Carrie Muskat
1/28 Winter League update
Cubs infielder Luis Valbuena and Cardenales de Lara need a win Monday. Lara and Magallanes are tied at two wins apiece in the best-of-seven Venezuelan championship series, and will meet again Monday. On Saturday, Valbuena went 2-for-5 in a 6-5 loss. On Friday, he homered in the fifth inning to lift Lara to a 3-0 win, and was batting .350 in the playoffs.
– Carrie Muskat
1/10 Cubs sign Valbuena
The Cubs signed infielder Luis Valbuena to a one-year, $930,000 contract on Thursday, thus avoiding arbitration. Valbuena, 27, batted .219 in 90 games with the Cubs, who claimed the infielder off waivers from the Blue Jays on April 4. He played 82 games at third base, taking over for Ian Stewart, who was sidelined with a wrist injury that needed surgery. The Cubs have three players remaining who are arbitration eligible: Matt Garza, James Russell and Jeff Samardzija.
– Carrie Muskat
1/10 Winter league update & roster moves
Cubs prospect Junior Lake was 0-for-3 in Estrellas’ 11-3 loss to Aguilas on Wednesday in the Dominican round-robin playoffs. Estrellas is now 2-9, and faces the Toros (6-5) on Thursday. Also, there was a report on Thursday that Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro plans to play for Escogido, but does need to get permission from the Cubs front office. Escogido is 7-4 and tied with Aguilas for first in the round-robin playoffs.
* Luis Valbuena was 2-for-4 in Lara’s 7-1 loss to Zulia on Wednesday in Venezuela winter league playoffs. On Tuesday, Valbuena hit a three-run double and scored twice in an eight-run seventh inning rally in an 8-5 win.
Roster moves:
* The Rockies signed right-hander Manuel Corpas to a Minor League deal with an invite to big league camp. He was the Rockies closer in 2007. Last year, Corpas made 48 appearances for the Cubs, but was a free agent at the end of the season after refusing an outright assignment to the Minor Leagues.
* Kosuke Fukudome will play in Japan again. He has signed a three-year deal believed to be worth $5.5 million with the Hanshin Tigers. Fukudome, 35, batted .171 in 51 plate appearances with the White Sox last season before he was released. He posted a career .258/.359/.395 numbers at the big league level with the Cubs, Indians and White Sox.
* In case you missed it, pitcher Randy Wells has signed a Minor League deal with the Rangers, and pitcher Justin Berg has signed with the Rockies.
– Carrie Muskat
1/6 Winter League update
Luis Valbuena was 2-for-4 and scored two runs in Lara’s 13-6 win over Zulia in Venezuelan winter league play.
In the Dominican, Junior Lake was 1-for-4 with a double and one RBI in Estrellas’ 3-2 loss to Escogido. On Sunday, Estrellas (2-6) plays Aguillas (5-3).
– Carrie Muskat
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