(670 The Score) With a month left in the regular season, the Cubs have moved right-hander Adbert Alzolay out of the rotation and into the bullpen for the rest of the campaign.
The move was made with the 26-year-old Alzolay’s workload in mind. He has thrown 110 1/3 innings in 22 appearances, including 21 starts. The most innings he has logged in a professional season is 120 1/3 in 2016.
“I was not surprised,” Alzolay said Thursday. "We had been talking about my innings and workload. My main purpose right now is to finish the year, the last month still pitching. It was like I would get two or three more starts and be shut down or I can come out of the bullpen and keep pitching the whole month.”
Alzolay has had mixed results this season, posting a 4.98 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. He has a 4-13 record, a reflection of often getting poor run support.
The Cubs’ goal entering the season was to get Alzolay up to around 130 innings. That hope was interrupted by Alzolay landing on the injured list for about two weeks in August with a hamstring issue.
"He will now just to continue to pitch and help us out of the pen,” manager David Ross said. “He will be asked to do the same role as he did (Wednesday, when he threw four innings out of the bullpen). The best thing we can do for Adbert is get him through an entire big league season continuing to pitch. The best way we can monitor his innings and keep him healthy is to have him down in the bullpen and help out. Having him down there is a real weapon. He can give us length out there in short bursts. We have a lot of options of what we can do with him out there. If we need someone to give us a start, we have that option too.”
Alzolay explained how his mindset changes pitching out of the bullpen, which he did a little bit with the Cubs in 2019 and 2020.
“When I am in the bullpen, I shorten up my routine a little bit,” He said. "During my throwing program, I do less work with the heavy ball before the game. In the bullpen, I wanted to use my four-seamer more. And whenever I use my four-seamer more, my sinker gets better.”
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.