The Chicago Cubs placed closer Kerry Wood on the DL earlier this week and in the process called up Jeff Samardzija for his first stint in the big leagues. On Friday, the former All American wide receiver for Notre Dame made his major league debut. His stat line wasn’t overly impressive - 2 IP, 2 Hits, [...]

The Chicago Cubs have called up fireballing right-hander Jeff Samardzija from Triple-A to replace injured closer Kerry Wood on the roster for the next few days. Samardzija played WR at Notre Dame and famously chose to play baseball on the professional level instead of football, where he was said to have been a probable NFL first-round pick. Samardzija is 4-1 with a 3.13 ERA in six starts ...

Harry Caray would have a field day… A Cubs team fiercely trying to focus on the present could get its first glimpse of a big part of its future today with the arrival of top pitching prospect Jeff Samardzija. The hard-throwing right-hander from Valparaiso, Ind., got word of his first big-league promotion Thursday after the Cubs put closer Kerry Wood on the disabled list, a source with ...

With Kerry Wood on the DL due to a blister, many assumed Carlos Marmol was next in line for saves. Think again, as former Notre Dame football star Jeff Samardzija earned the save on Sunday. The 23-year old hurler pitched 2 perfect innings, while striking out 3 for his first career save. His fine heat sets him up as a future closer, and a decent fantasy option for the short-term because of his ...