Alzolay pitched two perfect innings to record the save in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Rays. He struck out four.
The Cubs' bullpen was rested after Marcus Stroman went all nine innings Monday, but the team still elected to close things out with Alzolay instead of Mark Leiter, who worked the seventh inning. With Brad Boxberger (forearm) on the injured list, Leiter has seemingly been the favorite for saves, though Alzolay remains in the mix and now has two saves this year. His strong performance Tuesday could help him see more opportunities moving forward.
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Cubs' Adbert Alzolay: Takes third loss
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Alzolay (1-3) allowed two runs on three hits across an inning of relief to take the loss Sunday against the Phillies. He struck out one.
After six scoreless innings from starter Justin Steele, Alzolay promptly came in and allowed Philadelphia to score the first two runs of the game. Despite the losing record, Alzolay has been mostly good this season with a 2.66 ERA and 22 strikeouts across 23.2 innings. This was his first time allowing multiple earned runs in an outing since April 4.
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Cubs' Adbert Alzolay: Tough-luck loss Sunday
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Alzolay (1-2) allowed two runs (both unearned) on one hit over three innings as he took the loss against the Marlins on Sunday.
Despite being handed with the loss, Alzolay pitched well under some pressure circumstances and gave the Cubs a chance to walk things off in extras. The Marlins would end up scoring the game winning run off a balk from Alzolay, which was an extremely unfortunate way for the 28-year-old to lose the game. He tossed 37 pitches and likely won't be available out of the pen until at least Wednesday. For the year, Alzolay owns a 2.41, ERA, 0.80 WHIP and 18:3 K:BB over 18.2 innings. He and Mark Leiter have been the two most reliable bullpen arms for David Ross thus far.
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Cubs' Adbert Alzolay: Nails down first save
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Alzolay pitched a perfect ninth inning Saturday to record his first save of the season in a 4-2 win over the Marlins.
Brad Boxberger served up a walkoff homer Thursday while Mark Leiter and Michael Fulmer worked the late innings in Friday's victory, so roles at the back of the Cubs' bullpen could be in flux as manager David Ross tries to figure out how best to deploy his top arms. Alzolay has earned his spot in that group with a 2.87 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 18:3 K:BB through 15.2 innings, and he has a win and four holds through 13 appearances in addition to Saturday's save.
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Cubs' Adbert Alzolay: Earns first 2023 win
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Alzolay (1-0) allowed two runs on two hits across 2.2 innings of relief and earned the win Tuesday against the Reds. He struck out five.
Starter Hayden Wesneski didn't make it through five full innings, so Alzolay was needed for a bit of length, and he looked sharp outside of allowing a two-run home run to pinch hitter Stuart Fairchild. The righty made 21 starts for the Cubs back in 2021, though he worked exclusively as a reliever last season. Alzolay figures to stay in that role for the foreseeable future.
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Cubs' Adbert Alzolay: Set to start Wednesday
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Alzolay is slated to start Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Athletics, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
The Cubs have said Alzolay is exclusively being viewed as a reliever this spring, but he's set to start his first Cactus League contest Wednesday. The righty likely won't work too deep into the game and the outing may resemble a multi-inning relief appearance, which could be Alzolay's typical usage this year. Alzolay made only six appearances last season due to a lat strain, all of which came out of the bullpen, but he did start 21 games back in 2021.
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Cubs' Adbert Alzolay: Not in starting mix
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Azolay is exclusively seen as a reliever this spring, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Injuries wiped out most of Alzolay's 2022 campaign, limiting him to just 13.1 innings of relief. He looked great in that small sample, posting a 3.38 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 19:2 K:BB. It's possible he's considered for a starting job later in the season, but his more likely path to fantasy relevance could be by moving to the back end of an unproven bullpen, though he also has just one major-league save to his name.
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Cubs' Adbert Alzolay: Earns win in finale
Rotowire
Alzolay (2-1) pitched 2.1 scoreless innings of relief and earned the win Wednesday against the Reds. He allowed two hits and a walk, while striking out three.
Starter Adrian Sampson departer after 2.2 innings due to right groin soreness, which forced Alzolay into the game early. The latter pitched well and picked up the win in Chicago's season-ending romp. Alzolay didn't debut until mid-September due to a lat strain, and he finished with a 3.38 ERA across 13.2 innings. The 27-year-old should be in the mix for a rotation spot to begin 2023 if he can remain healthy through the offseason and spring training.
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Cubs' Adbert Alzolay: Takes loss in season debut
Rotowire
Alzolay (0-1) allowed two runs on two hits and a walk across two innings of relief to take the loss Saturday against the Rockies. He struck out five.
Alzolay had been out all season due to a lat strain, but he made his return Saturday in a relief appearance. The righty logged 41 pitches and impressed with the five strikeouts, though he also exhibited a little rust and allowed a couple of runs, which isn't surprising given the long layoff. It's been a lost year for Alzolay, but he figures to make a couple more relief appearances down the stretch before likely competing for a rotation spot in 2023 if he's fully healthy.
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Cubs' Adbert Alzolay: Activated by Cubs
Rotowire
Alzolay (lat) was reinstated from the 60-day injured list Saturday, Tony Andracki of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Alzolay has been sidelined since the start of the season due to a lat strain but has spent the last month in the minors on a rehab assignment. The right-hander will pitch out of the Cubs' bullpen now that he's back to full health.
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Cubs' Adbert Alzolay: Set to return this weekend
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Alzolay (lat) is expected to be reinstated from the 60-day injured list this weekend, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Alzolay has been on the injured list all season due to a lat strain, but he began a rehab assignment Aug. 22. Over five minor-league outings, he's posted a 5.84 ERA and 1.54 WHIP in 12.1 innings. The 27-year-old hasn't tossed more than three innings in any of those appearances and will pitch out of the Cubs' bullpen once he's officially activated.
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Cubs' Adbert Alzolay: Begins rehab stint
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Alzolay (lat) started a rehab assignment Monday with the Cubs' rookie-level Arizona Complex League affiliate, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Alzolay opened the 2022 campaign on the injured list due to a strained right lat, but he's been ramping up his activity of late. He'll likely need to prove his health in at least a few rehab outings before having a chance to be activated from the 60-day IL before the season ends.
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Cubs' Adbert Alzolay: Facing hitters again
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Alzolay (lat) is scheduled to throw a live batting practice session Thursday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Facing hitters in a controlled setting marks the final step in Alzolay's prolonged recovery program from a right lat strain before he's ready to head out on what's expected to be an extended minor-league rehab assignment. Since he's been on the shelf since spring training with the injury, Alzolay may not have sufficient time to build up to a starter's workload in 2022, but if he avoids any further setbacks, he'll at least be able to return from the 60-day injured list as a multi-inning relief option before season's end.
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Cubs' Adbert Alzolay: Nearing live BP
Rotowire
Alzolay (lat) is expected to throw live batting practice in about a week, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Alzolay has been throwing bullpen sessions during the past week at the Cubs' extended spring training facility. He's nearing the next stage in his recovery but will need a few rehab assignments before being activated from the injured list. If things stay on track, Alzolay could return to make a few starts prior to the close of the regular season.
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Cubs' Adbert Alzolay: Throwing bullpen sessions
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Alzolay (lat) has been throwing bullpen sessions at the Cubs' extended spring training facility in Arizona, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Alzolay has been on the injured list since late March due to a right lat strain that he sustained during spring training. While it's encouraging that the right-hander has resumed mound work, he doesn't yet have a timetable to return to game action. Alzolay will presumably require several rehab appearances before he's cleared to rejoin the Cubs.
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Cubs' Adbert Alzolay: Playing light catch
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Alzolay (lat) will resume playing light catch Friday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Alzolay has been on the 60-day injured list since March after he sustained a lat strain during spring training, and he apparently hasn't been able to throw over the first two months of the regular season. While the right-hander is presumably at least several weeks away from returning to game action, it's encouraging that he's now able to play light catch.
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Cubs' Adbert Alzolay: Heads to 60-day injured-list
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Alzolay (lat) landed on the 60-day injured list Friday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Alzolay was diagnosed with a right lat strain earlier in the week that is expected to keep him out for at least two months. That lines up nicely with a 60-day injured list stint, allowing the Cubs to open up an extra 40-man roster spot until he heals. He's ineligible to return until early June.
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Cubs' Adbert Alzolay: Out at least two months
Rotowire
Alzolay's shoulder injury has been diagnosed as a lat strain and will keep him out for at least two months, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.
Alzolay's injury was previously referred to as merely tightness, but it's now clear that it's a significant issue and will keep him out for an extended period. The righty dealt with the same injury back in 2018. Assuming he'll be able to reclaim a starting role once healthy, he could be a productive pitcher for the final four months of the season, as his mediocre 4.58 ERA last season came with a promising set of peripherals. His 24.7 percent strikeout rate, 6.6 percent walk rate and 45.3 percent groundball rate were all better than league average. In leagues without an injured list, however, he's unlikely to move the needle enough to be worth blocking a bench spot for the first two months of the year.
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Cubs' Adbert Alzolay: Will open year on IL
Rotowire
Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Monday that Alzolay is dealing with shoulder tightness and is expected to begin the season on the injured list, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
A clearer timeline for Alzolay to make his season debut could begin more clear later in spring training, but the fact that Hoyer is already dismissing the possibility of the right-hander breaking camp with the club suggests he'll likely spend more than the minimum amount of time on the IL. Had he reported to camp at full health, Alzolay would have been in good shape to win a back-end rotation spot, but his absence to begin the season improves the chances of Alec Mills, Keegan Thompson and Justin Steele winning starting roles.
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Cubs' Adbert Alzolay: Continues scoreless streak
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Alzolay pitched two scoreless innings in Friday's loss to the Cardinals. He allowed a hit and a walk while striking out two.
Alzolay now has a modest streak of three straight scoreless appearances out of the bullpen, a span that covers 6.2 innings. The righty has lowered his ERA to 4.58 in the process and has looked like someone who could be a valuable option in long relief. However, there's still a decent chance Alzolay works back into the rotation next season, as the Cubs have some question marks behind staff ace Kyle Hendricks.
