Scott

McClain

McClain hit .348 with six home runs and 16 RBI this spring.

Matt Murton isn’t yet eligible to be recalled, so McClain is back in the majors to give the Cubs another third baseman. The 33-year-old was hitting .291/.358/.578 in 422 AB for Iowa. There’s not much reason for the Cubs to use him, even if he probably is their best option at third base with Aramis Ramirez out.

Blackley gave up seven runs over 8 2/3 innings in his two starts for the Giants last month. It was his first action in the majors since 2004, when he was considered a top prospect for the Mariners. A torn labrum suffered after that season has left him without the stuff to retire major league hitters.

Well deserved. The 35-year-old McClain hit .267 with 31 homers and 100 RBI for Fresno. He would have been a useful player in his prime, but he never really had the opportunity. His only other stints in the majors came in 1998 and 2005.

McClain, back in the U.S. after three years in Japan, has no chance of winning a spot on the Cubs bench. Still, a big spring might cause another team to give the 31-year-old a look as a bench player.

McClain, who turns 37 next month, posted a .275/.423/.425 line in 40 at bats in Fresno this year. He’s racked up a Crash Davis-like 292 minor league homers to go with 71 in Japan throughout his professional career.

That’s six homers and three doubles (and one single) in 28 at-bats. McClain, 31, was worthy of a real opportunity several years ago, but he hit just .226/.326/.457 in Japan last year and he missed most of 2002. He might be worthy of a bench spot, but he’s probably not going to have one in Chicago.

McClain had an outstanding spring, but he’s not part of the Cubs’ plans and no one stepped up to trade for him. He’ll start at third base for Iowa.

McClain also has three doubles, so he’s slugging 1.000 to go along with a .333 average. The Cubs probably won’t keep him, but some club should give him a look as a backup third baseman.

It doesn’t make much sense for the Giants to be giving McClain starts, but it is nice to see the veteran finally get his first major league homer. He had 291 of them in the minors, plus 71 more in Japan.