The Rangers have claimed right-hander Tyson Miller off waivers from the Cubs. Miller has been optioned to the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock. Righty Hunter Wood was shifted from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL to open up a 40-man roster spot for Miller.
Miller was designated for assignment earlier this week. A fourth-round pick for Chicago in the 2016 draft, Miller made his MLB debut last season, appearing in two games and tossing five innings for the Cubs. He posted generally solid numbers while working his way up the organizational ladder, though Miller hasn’t fared well at Triple-A Iowa, posting a 7.33 ERA over 54 innings at the top minor league level. The righty has mostly been used as a starter throughout his career, so Texas could deploy him in a similar capacity, or perhaps use him as a long reliever or swingman out of the bullpen.
After initially going on the 10-day IL due to right elbow discomfort on May 23, Wood’s injury has now been termed as a mild right UCL sprain. He’ll now be sidelined until well after the All-Star break recovering, with the hope being that the mild sprain doesn’t worsen and lead to a longer-term elbow problem. Wood signed a minor league contract with Texas this offseason and has a 3.60 ERA in his first five innings in a Rangers uniform.
I was hoping they’d claim McWilliams but I think I’m ok with this
I guess the mark of a good bullpen is your extra hands that are optioned get poached by other teams
Yeah, the Cubs hoard pitchers on their 40 man. They had 24 at one point and that has helped them to cobble together some decent bullpens over the years. But the injuries to their position players forced them to select some minor leaguers – Martini, Ortega, Wisdom, and Alcantara. They’ve DFA’d Ryan, Adam, and the two Millers in order to do that.
nice pickup
Ryan apparently cleared waivers and is with the Iowa Cubs. Would have been a better claim than Miller if a reliever was desired