Scott Maine Recalled

Cubs starter Ryan Dempster is going to the 15-day disabled list with right lat muscle tightness, the Cubs announced Monday.

Dempster has been pitching through the soreness, with 22 consecutive scoreless innings over his last three starts. It's his second DL stint of the season, after he missed two starts in April with a quad injury.

The Cubs are calling it a precautionary move and said the injury is not serious. Dempster is expected to be dealt before the July 31 trade deadline. This will at least delay the inevitable.

"Oh, then I should've pitched through it," Dempster cracked. "I'm not really worried about that. I'm more worried about trying to get healthy."

Dempster said he felt the muscle pull in a start against Milwaukee on June 5 and "it got harder and harder to get loose and maintain. I felt I was going south in the way I was feeling."

"I was little shocked because I didn't feel very good," he said. "I was able to get the outs."

Dempster joked he would have to "stay off the skates" while he recovers.  

Scott Maine has been called up from Triple-A Iowa to take Dempster's roster spot, and Randy Wells moves into the rotation, pitching Wednesday against the White Sox.


(chicagotribune.com)