Major League Baseball

Arrieta set to join Cubs' rotation

Published Mar. 14, 2013 1:00 a.m. ET

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Jake Arrieta is coming up to join Chicago's rotation on Friday, giving the Cubs a chance to take a long look at the right-hander over the final part of the season.

The 27-year-old Arrieta was acquired in a July 2 trade with Baltimore. The right-hander has made one start with Chicago, pitching six effective innings in a 3-2 loss to Milwaukee on July 30. He is 2-2 with a 3.56 ERA in seven starts with Triple-A Iowa.

"We made the decision to bring Arrieta here and start here," manager Dale Sveum said Wednesday, citing the chance to have the 6-foot-4 right-hander work with pitching coach Chris Bosio and bullpen coach Lester Strode. "Pitch here, and see what we got."

Arrieta was selected by Baltimore in the fifth round of the 2007 draft. He is 20-25 with a 5.39 ERA in parts of four seasons, winning 10 games for the Orioles in 2011.

The move means Arrieta, Travis Wood and Edwin Jackson will start this weekend's games against St. Louis, and it also puts Carlos Villanueva back in the bullpen. The 29-year-old righty has split time between the bullpen and rotation in his first season with Cubs, compiling a 2-8 record with a 4.26 ERA in 31 games.

"Villa's done it before," Sveum said. "Losing (Matt) Guerrier, he can kind of be that guy in the sixth, seventh inning when we're winning and get people out."

Guerrier, who was placed on the 60-day disabled list last Thursday with right elbow soreness, is getting a second opinion from Reds team physician Dr. Timothy Kremchek, but is likely headed for surgery to repair a torn pronator muscle in his arm.

"Definitely disappointing. But this is one of those things I've been dealing with for almost two years now with some pain in that area," said Guerrier, who is eligible for free agency after the season. "Hopefully get it fixed and hopefully have a chance to maybe come back here on a minor league deal or something next year and have an opportunity to help the team out next year again."

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