Cubs Lose, Harden Will Sit

Rich Harden didn’t have it Wednesday against the Brewers.  He only lasted 3 innings, giving up 5 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks in the Cubs‘ 9-5 loss.

On Thursday we found out that those may be the last innings we see Harden pitch for awhile.  Lou Piniella announced that Harden will be skipped his next time in the rotation and possibly the time after that.

Piniella says Harden “needs a breather.”  Surely, the decision would’ve been different had the Cubs still been in the pennant race.

Harden has spent a fair amount of time on the shelf this year, between DL stints and breathers.  This will absolutely factor in when Jim Hendry mulls retaining Harden’s services beyond this season.

It will be a tough decision.  Harden can have dominant stretches, but his pitch count often gets away from him, and there are always the worries about his health.

I’m 50/50 whether the Cubs should bring Harden back.  Depends on what you decide to do with Carlos Zambrano, I guess.  Tough to replace two starters.