Cubs Place Joe Smith On DL, Keep Trevor Cahill In Mix

(CBS) Right-hander Trevor Cahill's stellar start Tuesday has earned him a spot with the Cubs, at least for the time being.

Needing to remove one player from its roster after carrying 26 men for Tuesday's doubleheader, Chicago has placed righty reliever Joe Smith on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring. The move comes after Smith has struggled mightily of late, including walking two of the three batters he faced Tuesday afternoon. Smith has a 7.36 ERA in six appearances with the Cubs, who acquired him from the Angels on July 31 at the trade deadline.

Putting Smith on the DL also allows the Cubs to keep right-hander John Lackey on the active roster as he deals with soreness in his throwing shoulder. To give Lackey more time to recover but not keep him out a full 15 days on the DL, the Cubs will start left-hander Mike Montgomery at the Rockies on Saturday and push Lackey's next start back to next Tuesday.

On three days rest, Cahill will be ready to relieve Montgomery on Saturday.