MLB teams
Jesse Rogers, ESPN Staff Writer 8y

Anthony Rizzo says only media is panicking about Cubs' struggles

MLB

CHICAGO -- Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo went on the attack before his team began second-half play on Friday against the Texas Rangers.

His target? The media, which he says has been too negative about the Cubs' struggles before the All-Star break, when a double-digit lead in the National League Central dropped to seven games.

"The only people panicking about this is the media," Rizzo said Friday morning to a throng of reporters. "No offense to you guys. It's been pretty negative. All the comments coming out of everyone's mouth except in this clubhouse. We feel great. We feel great to be back together and we're ready to go."

The Cubs went 2-9 in their final 11 games and 7-14 in their final 21 before the break, with numbers in pitching, hitting and fielding all down. Most attributed the slide to a grueling schedule in which the Cubs played 23 of 33 games on the road and played on 24 consecutive days.

"It's July and you need stories to write about, and what better story to write about than why are the Cubs struggling?" Rizzo said. "The only people worried about it are outsiders."

Cubs manager Joe Maddon had a softer stance. "The noise coming from outside is necessary," he said. "It can serve as motivation and it's also just fans being fans. It's about how you channel all that."

Maddon was quick to defend his team, citing the tough schedule. "I probably have not been as tired as I was at this break, ever," he said. "If I felt the need to rest, I'm certain our guys felt the same way."

Theo Epstein, the Cubs president of baseball operations, also addressed the tone of the conversation surrounding his team. It went from talk of breaking records at the beginning of the season to talk of a possible epic collapse heading into the break.

"When we were 25-6, the media was asking questions about, 'How do we balance getting our players rest with going for the all-time wins record?'" Epstein said. "I attached zero meaning to that. I called bulls--- on that question. The same way, if I think people are getting too down on us for not playing well, I'll call bulls--- on that, too. I just think all that matters is how we respond to adversity and how we handle success."

It'll help the Cubs to get some injured bodies back in the lineup as two key position players, outfielders Dexter Fowler and Jorge Soler, continue to rehab hamstring injuries.

Fowler is getting tested by trainers this weekend before beginning a new rehab assignment. Maddon said he is hoping Fowler will be available by the end of next week.

Soler is further away from returning but is also making progress. "He's doing well," Maddon said. "He's getting better but don't have a finish line there."

The Cubs got catcher David Ross back after a stint on the seven-day concussion list, but pitcher Trevor Cahill was placed on the 15-day DL with tendinitis in his right knee.

The Cubs still have a need for a lefty reliever. Clayton Richard, who was in the minors rehabbing from a blister, was called up from Triple-A Iowa. Richard was struggling with a 7.30 ERA in 22 relief outings before being sidelined June 21.

"Velocity was up," Maddon said of Richard. "Strike throwing was better. Everything was good."

The Cubs will know soon if fatigue was to blame for their pre-break slump -- especially on the mound, where Maddon says it showed the most.  Either way, the team isn't concerned with the narrative outside the clubhouse.

"It's undeniable that we didn't play well for a long stretch of time," Epstein said. "Once you go through that as a club, then you know it's possible. You get to the edge of the abyss and you stare right in. You go, 'Hey, we're not going to just rack up the wins. You have to go out and earn it.' That can be a good thing for our team."

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