Cubs rotation - April might be tough

[QED]

We're down two starters - Steele will most likely be out all of April. Taillon might be back mid-April. He's supposed to start a real game in Iowa 4/7.

So who's left?

Hendricks - I don't think he's been as sharp as in the past. Maybe the professor needs to think about taking emeritus status and join the bullpen?

Assad & Wicks - Not a lot of experience to predict how they'll do so I'm kind of nervous about them.

Brown - He was inconsistent Saturday but that could have been nerves.

Imanaga - Hoping he'll do well today.

When Steele and Taillon return, what will happen to Assad and Wicks? Or Hendricks? Bullpen or Iowa?

[Pas-de-Calais]

1. STL Cardinals fan enters the room,,,

[Auggie]

2. It's only one month, 26 games ...

but looking over the schedule, all I can think is "uh-oh".

Series vs the Dodgers, Padres, Mariners, Astros, Mets.

Hope for .500 in April, I guess.

[True Dough]

3. You can breathe a sigh of relief

with Imanaga. He looked good out there today.

[QED]

4. He sure did!

9 Ks. Loved Morel's "Little League" home run.

[True Dough]

6. Holy smokes!

Is Imanaga EVER GOOD!

[QED]

7. He sure is!

Steele looked good in Iowa yesterday - 63 pitches. He gave up some runs but yeah, he's almost back.

[QED]

8. Shotomania?

This is from the Yahoo Sports daily email:

Cubs lefty Shōta Imanaga continued the historic start to his rookie season on Wednesday, pitching seven scoreless innings in a 1-0 victory over the Mets.

His numbers so far:

‌5-0
34.2 IP
35 K
0.78 ERA
0.75 WHIP
Flashes of "Fernandomania": Imanaga's 0.78 ERA is the lowest through a pitcher's first six MLB starts since Fernando Valenzuela (0.33) in 1981. Valenzuela was just 20 years old while Imanaga is 30 with seven pro seasons in Japan under his belt, but if he keeps this up... Chicago may soon get its own taste of "Shōtamania."

Quote of the day: Imanaga was asked what it was like pitching in New York for the first time. "The view from the hotel, I recognize it from Spider-Man," he said via his interpreter. "So I was like, 'Oh, this is where Spider-Man was.'" Amazing.

[ProfessorGAC]

5. Need To Tread Water

3-2 now. They could go 11-14 and still be just under .500 when the top of the rotation gets healthy.
Fingers crossed.