CHICAGO — After an uneven start to the 2023 season, the Cubs have decided to have one of their young starting pitchers spend some time in Triple-A while also trying to revamp their bullpen a bit.

Hayden Wesneski, who has had an uneven start to the 2023 season, was sent down to Triple-A Iowa after allowing seven runs and four homers in a loss to the Twins on Saturday. He’d only allowed one earned run in his previous three starts but had a few rougher outings early, sporting an overall ERA of 5.03.

Another pitcher who was struggling and had a bad outing Saturday, Brad Boxberger, is headed to the 15-day IL retroactive to May 14 with a right forearm strain. He allowed three earned runs on three hits in less than an inning at Target Field Saturday and was sporting a 9.64 ERA this month.

Relievers Jeremiah Estrada was called up from Triple-A Iowa along with Nick Burdi in hopes to bolster the bullpen as the team continues its road trip.

Yet the Cubs still couldn’t get their pitching quite right to begin their three-game series against the reigning World Series champion Astros on Monday. After Jameson Taillon allowed four earned runs in 4 2/3 innings, the bullpen allowed just two the rest of the way.

But Alex Bregman’s two-run homer in the seventh inning of Michael Fulmer was enough to send the Cubs to a 6-4 defeat at Minute Maid Park on Monday.

Estrada did take over for Fulmer in the seventh and pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings as he remains scoreless in 5 1/3 innings this season.

At 19-22 on the season, the Cubs currently have a 3.97 team ERA, which is currently 12th in Major League Baseball.