Just about the time he was supposed to be throwing the first pitch of Friday night`s game against the Braves, Frank Castillo was lying on the trainer`s table in the Cubs` locker room with 103-degree fever.
Castillo was scrubbed from what would have been his 16th start of the season when he came down with tonsillitis.
”He`s got a couple of pretty badly inflamed tonsils,” said Cubs trainer John Fierro. ”They`re not pretty.”
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Castillo, 23, was examined by an Atlanta team physician, but results of the examination and the doctor`s recommended treatment were not immediately available.
– Castillo was replaced by right-hander Shawn Boskie, who last pitched June 22 in New York. Boskie has been bothered by a sore shoulder muscle. The last time he pitched more than four innings was May 19, when he lasted 5 2/3 innings in a 5-2 loss to the Dodgers.
– Right-hander Mike Harkey is scheduled to make his third start Saturday at Triple-A Iowa. Harkey, who went 12-6 as a rookie in 1990, is trying to come back from arm surgery last season. He has pitched twice at Class A Peoria and twice at Triple-A Iowa. His control has been erratic, but manager Jim Lefebvre is encouraged. ”There`s no set time for him (to come back to the major leagues), but it`s soon,” Lefebvre said. ”I don`t think he`s going to need a lot more time (in the minors).”