10:05 p.m. EDT update: Nope, no promotion. Rizzo left Triple-A Iowa’s game with a sore right wrist, according to CSNChicago.com’s Patrick Mooney.
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The Cubs could be ready to pull the trigger on a big move following a humiliating sweep at the hands of the Pirates. CSNChicago.com states that Anthony Rizzo was pulled from Triple-A Iowa’s game Sunday for a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning, and no injury was reported.
Of course, this being a minor league game, Rizzo could still be injured and no one is willing to say quite yet. Or it could even be a punitive benching.
One thing is for sure: the Cubs, losers of 12 in a row, are in desperate need of a lift. And Rizzo would seem to be the obvious candidate to provide it. The 22-year-old has hit .354/.416/.713 with 17 homers and 44 RBI in 178 at-bats for Iowa this season.
A Rizzo promotion would likely put Bryan LaHair in left field, turning Alfonso Soriano into a very expensive and likely unhappy fourth outfielder.
Still, this might be much ado about nothing. A source told David Kaplan that the Cubs still aren’t quite ready to make the Rizzo move yet.