Cubs send right-hander Javier Assad to minors to stretch out as a starting pitcher

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CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs optioned right-hander Javier Assad to Triple-A Iowa on Sunday to stretch him out as a starting pitcher.

Chicago also brought up left-hander Ty Blach from Triple-A Iowa and transferred right-hander Hunter Harvey to the 60-day injured list. Harvey is working his way back from right triceps inflammation.

With Matthew Boyd sidelined by a left knee injury, the NL Central-leading Cubs are thin when it comes to their rotation depth. Right-hander Cade Horton is out for the season because of elbow surgery, and Justin Steele has an uncertain timeline after he had a setback in his recovery from an elbow injury.

Ben Brown has made a successful return to the rotation, but he pitched just four innings in each of his first two starts.

The 28-year-old Assad is 16-11 with a 3.63 ERA in 57 career starts — all with the Cubs. He is 3-1 with a 5.88 ERA in five relief appearances and three starts for Chicago this season.

“If you just kind of look at this right now, starting pitching, where we're at, Matt still being a pretty good chunk of time away, making sure that should something else happen, we have somebody equipped,” manager Craig Counsell said before Sunday's game against the crosstown White Sox.

“We're transitioning Ben to this role, but the shortness of his stints, that affects you. So we don't want to get caught where we got nobody else that's really stretched out in any kind of way.”

Blach, 35, signed a minor league deal with Chicago in April. He is 23-33 with a 5.42 ERA in 156 major league appearances, including 70 starts.

The Cubs also could get Caleb Thielbar back as soon as Monday. The lefty reliever, who is on the IL with a left hamstring strain, pitched a scoreless inning in a rehab appearance with Class A South Bend on Saturday.

“Everything went well yesterday. Healthy,” Counsell said. “Just kind of seeing how he recovers today to really figure out when we activate him.”

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