The Cubs have claimed right-handed pitcher Jimmy Herget off waivers from the Braves, (per Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune). He has been optioned to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs. To make room for Herget on the 40-man roster, Chicago recalled Brennen Davis from Iowa and placed him on the 60-day injured list. The young outfielder suffered a fractured ankle earlier this week.
The Braves designated Herget for assignment on Wednesday to make room for Cavan Biggio on the 40-man roster. The 31-year-old right-hander had appeared in eight games for Atlanta this season, tossing 12 1/3 low-leverage innings with a 4.38 ERA and 3.13 SIERA. He also pitched to a 3.06 ERA and 2.95 FIP over 17 2/3 innings with the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate in Gwinnett.
Herget has also pitched for the Reds, Rangers, and Angels throughout his six-year MLB tenure, with a career 3.54 ERA across 129 appearances. His best season came with the Angels in 2022; he threw 69 innings with nine saves, six holds, a 2.48 ERA, and a 3.26 SIERA. Unfortunately, he struggled the following year, putting up a 4.66 ERA and 4.33 SIERA over 29 innings, prompting the Angels to option him several times throughout the season. He did not make the Opening Day roster in 2024, and the Angels would DFA him before the end of April and trade him to the Braves in early May.
The journeyman reliever will now have a brief opportunity to prove himself to his new organization before the end of the season. The Iowa Cubs have eight games remaining after today, while the Cubs will have 15 games left on the calendar following their matchup with the Rockies tonight. Herget will be eligible for arbitration this winter and out options in 2025, making him a likely non-tender candidate if he fails to make a strong first impression on the Cubs.
Davis, 24, was selected to the 40-man roster during the 2022-23 offseason but has yet to make an appearance in an MLB game. The young outfielder had an .828 OPS and a 116 wRC+ in 47 games at Triple-A this season. Unfortunately, this is his third time landing on the injured list in 2024. Davis was a consensus top 100 prospect in baseball as recently as 2022, but injuries and poor performance in 2022 and ’23 have raised serious questions about his major league future.
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a player have worse injury luck than Davis.
Is there a bone or body part he hasn’t broken, Injured or pulled at this point? I think they should cut him just for his own health. I mean if someone picks him up and it keeps happening then he’s just the unluckiest guy on earth. I think it’s time to move on next year.
It’s time to release Brennen Davis. He has no chance of making the Cubs. I wish him the best recovery.
They should be able to outright him in the roster crunch around the Rule 5 draft.
Sorry to hear about Davis. A sad situation. A one time highly regarded prospect. The list of injuries is extensive and have been nearly nonstop since 2022: back issues, surgery to repair core muscles, a back fracture and now, a fractured ankle. It’s not just the injuries alone that could end his run with the team that took him in the second round of the 2018 MLB Draft; it’s the larger prospect picture. So, hopefully Davis recovers and he can hopefully move on.