Positive Update on Jaxon Wiggins, Not So Much on Kyle Wright -

"After being scratched from his scheduled start on April 9, the Cubs said it was just a matter of "being strategic with the way we deploy our pitching." That was apparently farm director Jason Kanzler's way of saying Wigging was dealing with elbow inflammation that landed him on the IL, which naturally stoked more than a little concern."

"Things appear to be going well, however, as Sahadev Sharma reported for The Athletic that Wiggins has looked good in bullpens and is expected to throw live batting practice on Friday in Arizona. Getting through that unscathed would be a big step in getting the righty back to Iowa. The Cubs are going to be very judicious with his usage, and it's possible they could even dial him back to a relief role at some point to keep his innings down."

"I'm not convinced that's actually the best course of action, as it prevents Wiggins - or any pitching - from building up an adequate acute-to-chronic workload ratio. A lot of the pitching injuries we see come when guys experience a sudden spike in workload, whether that's early in the season or when throwing a lot of innings following a year or more in which they were treated with kid gloves."

"That wasn't the case for former Braves pitcher Kyle Wright, who was brought into camp as a non-roster invitee. Wright missed all of spring training due to shoulder issues, but was hitting 96 mph during his work in Mesa and was ready to hop a flight to Iowa. As Sharma reported, however, Wright experienced more shoulder pain and has been shut down."

Jaxon Wiggins, a top Cubs pitching prospect, has not pitched since early April after being scratched from a scheduled start and placed on the injured list with elbow inflammation. The Cubs described the decision as strategic deployment of pitching, and farm director Jason Kanzler’s comments were interpreted as related to the injury. Recent reports indicate Wiggins has looked good in bullpens and is expected to throw live batting practice in Arizona. If he completes that session without issues, he could return to Iowa. The Cubs plan to be judicious with his usage, potentially even shifting him to a relief role to limit innings. The piece argues that limiting innings can hinder building an acute-to-chronic workload ratio, which may contribute to future injuries. Kyle Wright, another pitching addition, was shut down after renewed shoulder pain despite strong velocity earlier.

Read at Cubsinsider