Chiefs Add Cervenka & Suarez to Bullpen
Published on May 16, 2012 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Peoria Chiefs News Release
PEORIA, IL- The Peoria Chiefs and Chicago Cubs have announced that left-handed pitcher Hunter Cervenka, acquired Tuesday from Boston to complete the Marlon Byrd trade, and right-hander Larry Suarez will join the Chiefs roster for Wednesday's 6:30 p.m. game in Clinton, Iowa. To make room for the two hurlers, reliever Bryce Shafer was sent to Extended Spring Training in Mesa, Arizona while reliever Charles Thomas was released.
Cervenka, 22, was originally drafted by Boston in the 27th round of the 2008 June draft out of Sterling High School in Baytown, TX. This season he pitched nine times for the Class-A Greenville Drive of the South Atlantic League going 0-3 with an 8.04 ERA and two blown saves. He struck out 24 and walked 12 in 15 2/3 innings while holding opponents to a .254 batting average. Over his three May outings, Cervenka posted a 1.59 ERA and struck out 11 batters in 5 2/3 innings. On May 8, Cervenka was part of the first no-hitter in Greenville's franchise history as he threw the seventh and eighth innings in relief of Miguel Pena and struck out five.
He started the 2011 season with Greenville going 0-2 with a 10.80 ERA in seven outings before being sent to Extended Spring Training on May 12. He finished the season with the Short-Season A Lowell Spinners going 2-8 with a 6.84 ERA in 15 games and five starts. Overall last season he struck out 69 and walked 58 in 72 2/3 innings. Cervenka signed with the Red Sox in August 2008 instead of heading to the University of Texas.
Suarez returns to the Chiefs after going 0-3 with a 13.50 ERA in 10 games for the Advanced-A Daytona Cubs this season. The right-hander struck out three and walked eight over 10 2/3 innings. Last year he joined the Chiefs May 26 and was 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA and a save in 10 outings. Suarez struck out 23 and walked just five over 16 innings before a June promotion to Daytona. He cruised in Daytona as well in 2011 going 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in eight games and 12 strikeouts in 12 innings. Suarez finished last season with Double-A Tennessee going 0-2 with a 7.31 ERA in six games and four starts.
Suarez also pitched for the Chiefs in 2010 going 1-3 with a 4.98 ERA in 27 outings. He picked up one save and struck out 51 batters in 47 innings. Suarez pitched for the Arizona League Cubs in 2007, 2008 and 2009 and also spent time in Boise in 2009 and 2010. A native of Venezuela, he was on Baseball America's Cubs Top 30 Prospects list in 2008. For his career he is 5-14 in 106 games with 24 starts and two saves. He has struck out 199 batters in 214 innings.
Shafer pitched 10 times for the Chiefs this season going 0-2 with an 8.22 ERA. He struck out 13 batters and walked 11 in 15 1/ 3innings. The Wabash, Indiana native had not pitched since May 6. He was 0-3 with a 2.79 ERA in 17 games for the Chiefs last season before finishing the year with 12 saves for the Boise Hawks in the Northwest League.
Thomas, a converted third baseman, pitched twice for the Chiefs this season after joining the team last week. He was 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA in those two outings with five strikeouts and three walks in 2 2/3 innings. He blanked Quad Cities over two innings on May 8 but allowed two runs on three hits and two walks over 2/3 of an inning on Sunday against Burlington. A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Thomas was the Chiefs third baseman in 2010 and then pitched for both Boise and Peoria last year.
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