Cubs starter Sean Marshall -- poised to return to Chicago from Triple A Iowa -- erased any doubts about lingering health issues as he surrendered just one run in eight innings in the 4-1 downing of Mets Pacific Coast League affiliate New Orleans.
Marshall's performance -- in which he lasted into the eighth inning and lowered his ERA to 3.41 in two starts -- virtually assures he will replace injured ace Carlos Zambrano, who is expected to miss at least one start while on a regimen of anti-inflammatory medicines due to what the team has described as relatively mild shoulder discomfort.
The 6-foot-7, 240-pound Marshall has been up and down with the Cubs since being taken in the sixth round of the 2003 draft, and had been sidelined with injuries coming out of spring camp. He was added to the Des Moines roster only 10 days ago after clearing up lingering questions about his durability.
Marshall is expected to start Tuesday.
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Doctor X -- the 'Baseball Medic' -- is an anonymous U.S. government trauma specialist with a Duke University sports medicine background and more than 20 years experience in emergency medicine. From time to time he considers MLB rumors, events and news reports as they pertain to baseball players' injuries, illnesses and various other disabilities, both on the field and off.
MLB Rumors editor Greg Fieg is a former sports news editor and award-winning writer whose bylines have appeared on the wires of the Associated Press and in numerous publications, including San Antonio Express-News, San Antonio Light, Houston Chronicle and Philadelphia Bulletin. He formerly was posted in various positions on the U.S.-Mexican border with Freedom Newspapers, and was a regular, independent contributor to United Press International.