IST: Atlanta Braves (50-42) at Chicago Cubs (39-52) (July 11-13)

@TheCCO: #Cubs vs. Braves, Wood (7/11): Alcantara 2B, Ruggiano RF, Rizzo 1B, Castro SS, Castillo C, Lake CF, Coghlan LF, Olt 3B, Arrieta P


@Judd_Sirott: Renteria said Alcantara likely to start in CF tomorrow

The Cubs are going to have a 4 game winning streak going into the All Star break.

Sucks today's game is on CSN which I don't get on tv. I was curious to actually see Alcantara in CF and whether or not he was good/bad there.

beckdawg said:

Sucks today's game is on CSN which I don't get on tv. I was curious to actually see Alcantara in CF and whether or not he was good/bad there.

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I ended up getting a 2 week trial of MLB.TV for my All Star Final Vote participation... excited to see him play.

Fun watching Arrieta pitch... looking sharp.

beckdawg said:

Sucks today's game is on CSN which I don't get on tv. I was curious to actually see Alcantara in CF and whether or not he was good/bad there.

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Alcantara at 2B today, playing center tomorrow

beckdawg said:

Sucks today's game is on CSN which I don't get on tv. I was curious to actually see Alcantara in CF and whether or not he was good/bad there.

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It's on the MLB channel today....If your Cable system has it?

chibears55 said:

Alcantara at 2B today, playing center tomorrow

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Ah cool.

Can't allow those leadoff walks... tied at 2 now.

Have to think lake will be sent down after the break..

Coghlin looks like he securing LF, with Alcantara in CF, and Schierholtz and Ruggiano in RF

Have to think lake will be sent down after the break..

Coghlin looks like he securing LF, with Alcantara in CF, and Schierholtz and Ruggiano in RF

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Bonifacio beginning rehab assignment



CHICAGO -- Emilio Bonifacio will begin his rehab assignment on Friday with the Arizona League Cubs, the organization's Rookie-level affiliate.

Bonifacio has been on the disabled list with a right oblique strain since June 13. He sustained the injury the previous day against the Pirates. In his first at-bat, he took a swing that caused him to fall to the ground, and he limped off the field with the support of head athletic trainer PJ Mainville.

Bonifacio is hitting .261/.307/.340 in 61 games this season.

Barney returns, but Alcantara staying for now




CHICAGO -- The Cubs will keep Arismendy Alcantara on the roster through Sunday, but it's unclear if he'll still be with the club following the All-Star break.

Filling in at second base for Darwin Barney, Alcantara made quite a splash in his second Major League game Friday at Cincinnati, when he not only picked up his first Major League hit and RBI, but went 4-for-5 with a double, triple and three RBIs.

Barney was activated from the paternity list on Friday, but the Cubs decided to keep Alcantara around longer than originally planned, in part because they don't need as many pitchers with the All-Star break around the corner. The Cubs have starters Edwin Jackson and Travis Wood lined up for the final two games of the first half, so they optioned right-handers Kyle Hendricks and Blake Parker to Triple-A Iowa and recalled lefty Zac Rosscup from Iowa before Friday's game.

Cubs manager Rick Renteria said the organization will determine after this weekend what it will do with Alcantara. The 22-year-old hit .307/.353/.537 with 21 stolen bases and 11 triples in 89 games for Iowa this season, and he is considered the superior offensive player to Barney, who has posted a .224/.261/.316 line in 70 games for the Cubs.

"[Alcantara has] done a lot of things that obviously have put him in a position where we had at that particular time a need, and so he was the appropriate fit," Renteria said. "So far right now, it would be impossible for somebody to do exactly what he did for the last two days every single day. That's not going to happen, but it's been a nice addition."

Renteria plans to move Alcantara -- who played 70 games at second base, six at shortstop and 11 in center field at Triple-A this year -- around the diamond so that he plays on a consistent basis. Renteria said Alcantara has the athleticism to play multiple positions, and he will try him out in center field starting Saturday.

"I think that any time you bring up a young prospect ... they have to play. We have to see them," Renteria said. "I'm going to see what I'm going to do in terms of keeping him in there and balancing out the lineup a little bit. I know you [will] see him in there at second base.

"We'll probably work with him in center field a little bit tomorrow. We'll see how that goes. That way, you're still trying to keep the balance with everyone that's here."

Just got a feeling they will try to sell their short term players right now after reading that.

Bonifacio gets back FT CF with Barney FT 2B to sell off.

I would expect Alcantara gone after the ASG and back after they sell them off. If they don't then IDK to be honest. Bonifacio is the easy choice to sell. Just prove he is healthy and his speed and flexibility is easy to sell off. Barney is just a glove man. That is a harder sale. It would almost be easier to sell Schierholtz as a PH.

I hope we can do something to get Lake fixed and back on track. I like him and I hope they don't give up on him too early. He has potential, he just has some things to learn and work on.

Mr. Cub said:

I hope we can do something to get Lake fixed and back on track. I like him and I hope they don't give up on him too early. He has potential, he just has some things to learn and work on.

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Best thing they can do for him now is send him to Iowa and let him work it out there.

Sometimes playing in a lineup where the offense is clicking just about every game as iowa is with baez, bryant, etc can get you in a good rhythm and get good ABs.

Maybe Manny can figure something out for him

WTF.. I know rondon suppose to be the "closer" but why not at least let Ramirez start the 9th after striking out the only hitter he faced.. he warm and got that adrenaline going already.

I hate wasting good relievers on one hitter as much as I hate blowing leads in 9th inning

chibears55 said:

WTF.. I know rondon suppose to be the "closer" but why not at least let Ramirez start the 9th after striking out the only hitter he faced.. he warm and got that adrenaline going already.

I hate wasting good relievers on one hitter as much as I hate blowing leads in 9th inning

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Now, you are down a pitcher and could be going into extras. Renteria makes some real bad decisions sometimes. Rondon should not be the unquestioned closer. Its just bad managing.

Rondon is like Marmol was. He is no sure thing. I wish we could have one guy who is all but a sure thing when he comes in. Every ball got hit hard off him that inning. I think Ramirez should be the closer.

Ruggiano with the walk off. Alcantara scored/

RUGGIANO! Nice walk off! glad the Cubs came back strong and won that game after the blowing of it. Good to see Alcantara get on and swipe 2nd then score the winner!