The path to ensuring rookie right-hander Adbert Alzolay pitches through the end of the season features a move to the Chicago Cubs bullpen.
Alzolay, in the ninth year of his pro career, never has thrown more than 120⅓ innings during a season, which he totaled in 2016 at Low-A South Bend. With a month left, Alzolay sits at 110⅓ innings after pitching four innings in relief Wednesday against the Minnesota Twins. In 21 starts, Alzolay compiled a 5.16 ERA, 1.204 WHIP, 9.1 K per 9 innings and a .239 average against. He pitched into at least the sixth inning seven times and made six quality starts.
By using Alzolay out of the bullpen for the final 27 games, the Cubs can manage his innings to ensure he pitches until the end of the season and keep him healthy. The organization is taking a big-picture approach to a young arm they envision playing an important role in the 2022 rotation.
Manager David Ross said the best thing the Cubs can do for Alzolay is to get him through a full MLB season, something the 26-year-old never has experienced. He appeared in four big-league games in 2019 and six in 2020.
“It’s a real weapon, as you saw (Wednesday),” Ross said Thursday. “He’s got length, he can come in in short bursts — there’s a lot of options we can do with him down there, keeping him as sharp as possible. And if we need somebody to have a start, we want to flip somebody some time, we’ve got that option too.”
Ross indicating a willingness to use Alozlay in a variety of situations suggests the Cubs aren’t going to solely use him like they did against the Twins as a bulk reliever. The amount of rest they want to incorporate into Alzolay’s schedule, and how his arm feels after outings, are factors too. But whether it’s a one-inning appearance or utilizing him similarly to Justin Steele and Keegan Thompson during their relief stint, having a multi-inning reliever can be a valuable arm in the bullpen in this era of baseball.
“It just depends on how your team is shaped up, but right now, those two-inning relievers, when we had those, the plan when early in the season we had Keegan and Steele was like, OK, I can use one one day and use one the next and at least they have for sure a day off the next day, maybe two depending on how the game is going,” Ross said. “I think some guys pitch freer.”
Alzolay was not surprised by the decision, explaining Thursday that it had been discussed because they had been looking at his workload.
“My main reason right now is just to be able to finish the last month pitching,” Alzolay said. “So it was either I got two or three more starts and then I’ll be shut down or I can come out of the bullpen and keep pitching through the whole month.”
The transition to the bullpen has involved shortening his routine and throwing program in preparation of potentially pitching more frequently and in shorter outings. Ross liked how Alzolay attacked Twins hitters, aggressively pounding the strike zone en route to allowing only one hit, no walks and five strikeouts in his four-inning relief appearance Wednesday. He earned his first career save in the process.
“I wanted to use my four-seam more,” Alzolay said. “On the off day (Monday), watching the videos and watching all the data I feel like whenever I use my four-seam early in the count, my sinker gets better. … It also makes my slider work a little better, so that was my main focus (Wednesday).
“Just keep good rhythm with my mechanics to allow me to keep my four-seam straightforward to the plate.”
Alzolay enjoyed pitching out of the pen, something he did before for the Cubs. Four of his 10 appearances before this season came as a reliever. Going immediately into attack mode in those situations and relying on his four-seam fastball make him feel comfortable.
Regardless of how much Alzolay likes being a reliever, he fully expects to return to the rotation next season. And as one of the Cubs’ best starters with upside, they need him to continue to develop and harness his full potential. Development isn’t linear, and his work as a reliever could help him unlock more consistency and assertiveness on the mound.