Chicago Cubs biggest roster decisions heading into the summer

After a relatively strong start to the season with three-straight series victories, the Chicago Cubs are heading into the summer with some deicions to make with the roster.

Javier Assad's return

Javier Assad is reportedly getting close to going on a rehab assignment as he builds back up from his oblique injury. The starter/swingman is versatile when it comes to where he will pitch, but it's likely he will return to the major league roster out of the bullpen.

Justin Steele was placed on the injured list with an elbow issue on Tuesday, and if he is only gone for the minimal amount of time, he and Assad will be ready around the same time (late April or early May). In Steele's absence, Colin Rea is stepping into the rotation and theoretically leaving the long-reliever spot open for Assad to claim. Steele would slot back into the rotation and depending on the status of the rest of the starters, Rea may remain there as well.

It's a volatile situation with a lot of moving parts, but Assad coming back healthy will be good for the staff wherever he is pitching.

Will Ryan Pressly keep the closer role?

Although Ryan Pressly remains perfect in save situations (3), the 36-year-old closer has not looked particularly sharp through his first seven games as a Chicago Cub. The veteran righty has surrendered three earned runs, six walks, and 11 hits in seven innings pitched. Each time he has taken the mound this year, Pressly has allowed at least one batter to reach base, which has called into question his ability to hold the ninth inning job.

It's still a small sample size, but the entire bullpen is struggling to keep traffic off of the base paths and they remain in the bottom ten of all teams in bullpen ERA. Some stability in the ninth inning could be key in keeping the Cubs competitive this year and avoiding the inflated amount of blown saves that plagued the team last season (26).

The Cubs traded for Pressly to address this problem, and they need to pivot if he continues to struggle with command issues as the season rolls into the summer. Porter Hodge is the most logical in-house candidate, but the trade market could be where a significant improvement is made. Kyle Finnegan of the Washington Nationals, Jeff Hoffman of the Toronto Blue Jays, and Kenley Jansen of the Los Angeles Angels could find themselves on the block since their teams are unlikely to compete for playoff spots.

Vidal Bruján's return

Infielder Vidal Bruján is also expected back sometime before the end of April after spraining his elbow in Spring Training. His return may force the Cubs to remove third baseman Gage Workman from their roster, who is looking ever more expendable after struggling to find his first Major League hit after seven plate appearances. At 25-years-old, this is Workman's first taste of MLB and he entirely skipped over the Triple-A level after turning heads this Spring Training.

Although Bruján is only a career.189 hitter in MLB, he at least brings more experience to the table without sacrificing speed or position versatility off the bench. The Workman experiment was fun while it lasted, but it looks like he needs more time to develop his skills at the plate and he has looked severely outgunned by Major-League pitching after striking out five times this year.

The Cubs are also probably eager to see what they can get out of Bruján after trading former highly-touted first baseman Matt Mervis for him in the offseason. In addition to all outfield spots, Bruján can play second base, first base, and shortstop and is a switch-hitter at the plate. When he comes back, Workman is the only logical option to jettison with Justin Turner, Jon Berti, and Carson Kelly all signed to major-league contracts. As a Rule-5 draft selection, if Workman is removed from the roster, he will be returned to the Detroit Tigers.