Neil Ramirez was a player that most Chicago Cubs‘ fans were pulling for as much for his talent as they were his ability. After a strong rookie season that saw Ramirez post a 1.44 ERA in 43 2/3 innings, striking out 53 while walking just 17, Ramirez struggled with shoulder issues last season. He still hasn’t recovered the velocity on his fastball that he once had, but the Cubs were hoping he would be able to compensate with his other stuff which is still nasty.
The injury to Jason Heyward–which won’t require a trip to the disabled list–forced the Cubs to make a decision with the bench as well as the bullpen.