Chicago Cubs' starting pitchers Justin Steele and Adrian Sampson will not be traveling with the club to Toronto this week. Both players will be placed on the restricted list before the Cubs' open a three-game series with the Blue Jays Monday night.
The decision comes days after Cubs' president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer shared that the club would be without 'three or four' players, due to their vaccination status.
"We're likely to be down probably three or four players," Hoyer told reporters Thursday.
Due to Canada's strict COVID-19 guidelines and regulations, unvaccinated people are not permitted to enter the country.
This has caused problems for a number of visiting teams all season, and effectively given the Blue Jays a unique homefield advantage.
Sampson and Steele will both be placed on the restricted list, but because Sampson started the Cubs' game Sunday in Milwaukee, the team will not be allowed to bring up a player to replace him.
The Cubs will however be able to call-up a player to replace Steele, who was in line to pitch Wednesday. Steele will miss his scheduled start.
25-year-old rookie Javier Assad is slated to pitch the series opener Monday, with Marcus Stroman scheduled to start Tuesday night.
The Cubs have yet to announce who will be brought up from Triple-A Iowa in Steele's place, or who will start Wednesday night's game.
It seems like it would be the right time to bring rookie Caleb Kilian back up to the big league club, but Kilian started the Iowa Cubs' game on Sunday and won't be fresh for a full-start by Wednesday.
Luke Farrell made a spot start for the Cubs last Wednesday against the Cardinals, and is still on the big league roster. He's a prime candidate to pitch in Steele's place Wednesday.
Hayden Wesneski — the organization's no. 12 prospect according to MLB.com — whom the Cubs acquired from the New York Yankees at the trade deadline for reliever Scott Effross, could however be primed for his big league debut.
Expect a corresponding roster move soon.
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