Welcome back to BCB After Dark: the grooviest gathering of night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in and sit with us for a while. It’s hot out there, but we’re cool in here. There’s no cover charge. The hostess can take you to your table. Bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

The Cubs lost to the Blue Jays, 5-1 tonight. I don’t want to talk about it. Oh crap, I have to. Later.

Last night, I asked you who should get designated for assignment when Miguel Amaya was activated earlier today. We found out the Cubs’ answer was Jon Berti, but you also voted for Berti with 45 percent of the vote. In second place with 43 percent of the vote was Reese McGuire.

(By the way, our new polling software figures percentages out to one decimal point. I’m not going to bother with that and will round the results to the nearest whole percentage point when reporting results.)

On Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, I don’t normally do a movie piece. But I always have time for jazz, so that’s up next on the schedule.

I have to admit that I really wasn’t familiar with vocalist Sheila Jordan before she passed yesterday at the age of 96. The obituaries that have come out about her have noted that she never made the big time, partly because of her unwillingness to compromise her music and partly because of her decision to put her child before her career. But the people who knew her thought she was the real deal—one of the best. No less than Charlie Parker noticed her as a teenager and was impressed.

But here is a concert of Sheila Jordan singing in 1971. Let’s just say I’m glad I’mmore familiar with her now.

Welcome back to those who skip all that jazz.

The Cubs activated Javier Assad to make his first appearance of the season tonight in a loss to Toronto. Assad gave up four runs on eight hits over four innings. On the good side, he only walked one while striking out two.

The much-maligned Ben Brown then pitched the next four innings and allowed just one run on four hits over four innings. However Brown walked one and struck out nobody.

So tonight’s question is should Javier Assad remain in the starting rotation? The title of tonight’s piece is a little misleading—the Cubs have a stretch of six games in five days coming up and Assad will almost certainly get one of those starts. But Jameson Taillon is scheduled to make a final rehab start for Iowa tomorrow (or tonight depending on when you read this) and the plan is for him to be activated in time for the start after that.

So when Taillon returns, the starting rotation is guaranteed to have Matthew Boyd, Shōta Imanaga, Cade Horton and Taillon. That leaves room for just one more starter. Colin Rea has the job now, but would you replace him with Assad? Or Ben Brown, who looked good tonight—or at least better than Assad.

Craig Counsell has said that he doesn’t intend to go with a six-man rotation (except in that six-games in five days stretch) and so only one of those three can take the fifth starter position. Who’s your pick?

I’m not putting down Michael Soroka, because while it does sound like he may be back before the end of the season, he probably won’t have built up enough strength to start. Maybe in the playoffs. (Cue Jim Mora).

Thanks so much for stopping by. We’re always glad to see you. Please get home safely. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow night for more BCB After Dark.