Ross: Quintana, Chafin ‘extremely close’ to return from IL originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Cubs left-handed pitchers José Quintana and Andrew Chafin are “extremely close” to returning from the injured list, manager David Ross said Friday.
Chafin (left finger sprain) was scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Friday and “could be any day now,” Ross said. Quintana (left lat inflammation) is set to throw a simulated game on Saturday and is expected to return soon after.
The Cubs plan to use Quintana as a reliever when he first returns, just as they did after his left thumb injury earlier in the season.
With the additions of Chafin and Quintana to the bullpen, the Cubs could go from having one left-handed reliever for much of the regular season to taking three or four into the final week.
Entering play Friday, it’d been over a week since Ross signaled for a lefty out of the bullpen. Kyle Ryan threw a scoreless 2/3 of an inning on Sept. 10 against the Reds. The day before, trade deadline acquisition Josh Osich held Cincinnati scoreless for 1 1/3 innings.
