5:02 PM: The Cubs officially activated Miley this evening. They cleared a spot for him on the active roster by placing outfielder Michael Hermosillo on the 10-day IL with a left quadriceps strain, the team announced. Hermosillo’s IL stint is retroactive to May 8th.
As noted below, Miley will make his debut for the underachieving Cubs in tonight’s tilt against the Padres. Hermosillo, who’s played only sparingly this season, was off to a particularly slow start, slashing only .071/.257/.107 in 35 trips to the plate.
12:17 PM: Left-hander Wade Miley will be activated from the Cubs’ 10-day injured list in time to start today’s game against the Padres, Chicago manager David Ross told reporters (including MLB.com’s Shaun O’Neill) yesterday. It will mark Miley’s season debut, as the veteran was sidelined after developing inflammation in his left elbow during Spring Training.
The injury led to a 10-day shutdown period, but Miley has gradually ramped up since, building to a 41-pitch minor league rehab start last Thursday. Ross said that Miley won’t be held to a specific pitch count, so it won’t be a piggyback situation for Miley’s first outing of 2022.
As a cost-cutting move last November, the Reds rather surprisingly placed Miley on waivers, allowing the Cubs to claim the southpaw and then exercise a $10MM club option on his services for 2022. Miley’s solid track record over the last 11 seasons made him something of a no-brainer pickup for a Cubs team that was short on pitching, and Chicago again finds itself short on arms as Miley returns the IL. Marcus Stroman is on the COVID-related injured list, Justin Steele is nursing a sore thumb, and (like Miley) both Adbert Alzolay and Alec Mills have yet to pitch this season due to injuries.
The Reds move releasing Miley will go down as one of their worst decisions in recent club history. Wishing him nothing but good vibes in todays start.
Perhaps, but the decision to salary-dump Raiser Iglesias instead of keeping him for even one more year probably cost Cincinnati a legitimate playoff run.
All that money to Suarez, Moustakas, and Castellanos, only to cheap out on one $8MM reliever who’d have undoubtedly saved more early-season games than Garrett, Sims, Hembree, et al. did (and likely more down the stretch as well).
I liked miley and wanted the cubs to trade Q and sign him instead since they were similar and Miley could be had for Pennie’s on the dollar. Low and behold Miley has been successful and Quintana was a rather big disappoint for the cubbies. Here to “better late than never”
Just took a look Wade Miley’s baseball reference. Are we not talking about this guy as a borderline hall of famer? Because if not, we should be.
You’re correct. We’re not talking about this guy as a borderline Hall of Famer.
HOF’er only if Miley is spelled B-O-G-G-S.
Smart pickup by the Cubbies though.
This is the most absurd take I’ve seen in this community. Watch baseball much? My son could tell you Miley’s not even close to a HOF bid and I just changed his diaper!!
It’s not really that absurd. A lot of people forget that he is close to Sandy Koufax in career wins.
I find the writer’s use of “underachieving Cubs” kinda funny. We’re they supposed to win the World Series??
at 10-18, are the Cubs “underachieving”? Maybe? But I’m not so sure.
rondon beat me to it
Releasing career 4.16 ERA (3.37 in 2021) Miley to save $10 million was a terrible decision. Trading for career 4.11 ERA (5.05 in 2021) injured Mike Minor and paying him $10 million makes it one of the worst in franchise history. Miley was the best pitcher on the Reds roster in 2021 and threw a no-hitter. They knew Minor was hurt and still chose to take on the exact same salary. Insanity.
He got squeezed last night too