The Cubs have placed Ryan Dempster on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left oblique muscle.  This will hurt the Cubs a little bit as Dempster has pitched pretty well this season for the Cubbies.  In 33 games this season Dempster is 1-3 with 16 saves, a 3.38 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP.  He has thrown 34.2 innings this season and he’s allowed 21 hits, walked 14 batters and whiffed 33.  Look for Bobby Howry to take over as the closer of the Cubs until Dempster is ready to return.

The Cubs signed Bret Prinz to a minor league contract after he was released by the White Sox.  Prinz will go to AAA to get some work in and wait for an opportunity to get to the majors.  Prinz was 0-0 with a 8.10 ERA in 4 games this season for the White Sox.  He has pitched in 102 games in his major league career and he’s 5-4 with 9 saves, a 4.89 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP.  Prinz was a nice low risk addition to the Cubs who need some help in the bullpen.

The Cubs have traded Michael Barrett to the Padres for catcher Rob Bowen and OF Kyler Burke.  The Cubs will miss Barrett’s bat, but not his awful defense and attitude in the clubhouse and with the pitching staff.  26 year old switch hitting Rob Bowen will likely share the catching job with Henry Blanco when he’s ready to return from injury.  Bowen has played in 30 games this season for the Padres and he’s 22 for 82 (.268 avg, .810 OPS) with 12 runs scored, 2 homers and 11 RBIs.  Bowen is a much better defensive player than Barrett is and he’s good with pitchers.  Kyler Burke is a struggling 19 lefty swinging outfielder.  In 62 games in Low-A ball, Burke is 45 for 213 (.211 avg, .572 OPS) with 24 runs scored, 1 homer, 21 RBIs and 3 stolen bases.

Michael Barrett has been getting into a lot of fights with pitchers, namely Carlos Zambrano and that hasn’t sit well with manager Lou Piniella or Cubs management.  It’s possible that the Cubs will look to trade Barrett soon so they hope he starts hitting like he can so they can get something for him.  Barrett has played in 56 games this season and he’s 52 for 206 (.252 avg, .732 OPS) with 22 runs scored, 9 homers and 29 RBIs.  Barrett is far and away the best hitting catcher on the Cubs roster but he’s also a poor defensive catcher.  Unless the Cubs acquire another catcher either for Barrett or in a separate trade it’s hard for me to believe that they would move him and play Henry Blanco and Koyie Hill as their catchers.  Blanco and Hill are both good defensive catchers but neither of them has hit a lick so far this season.  Blanco has played in 14 games this season and he’s 7 for 36 (.194 avg, .481 OPS) with 3 runs scored and 3 RBIs.  Koyie Hill is a switch hitter but he hasn’t hit good from either side of the plate yet for the Cubbies.  He has played in 9 games for the Cubs and he’s only 4 for 25 (.160 avg, .450 OPS) with 2 runs scored. 

The Cubs have placed starting 3B Aramis Ramirez on the 15-day disabled list with patellar tendinitis in his left knee.  Ramirez has played in 53 games this season and he’s 63 for 211 (.299 avg, .892 OPS) with 28 runs scored, 13 homers and 39 RBIs.  This will hurt the Cubs’ offense quite a bit as they will lose a lot of power production.  Mark DeRosa will slide from 2B to 3B until Ramirez is ready to return.  Mike Fontenot and Ryan Theriot will split time at second base.