In a series of moves relayed by Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network, the Cubs are expected to select right-hander Yacksel Rios and recall lefty Charlie Barnes. Righty Vince Velasquez will be designated for assignment. Left-hander Riley Martin is heading to the 15-day injured list (retroactive to April 24) with elbow inflammation. The team has officially announced the moves.
Velasquez’s minor league contract was only just selected on Friday, and he pitched well in what could end up being his only appearance in a Chicago uniform. The right-hander allowed one hit over 2 1/3 shutout innings against the Dodgers in Velasquez’s first MLB outing since the 2023 season, when he was with the Pirates.
Elbow surgery sidelined Velasquez for the entire 2024 campaign, and his 2025 season saw him pitch both in the KBO League with the Lotte Giants and with the Guardians’ Triple-A club. Cleveland designated Velasquez for assignment and outrighted him off its 40-man roster last year, so that past outright means that Velasquez can opt for free agency instead of accepting an outright assignment from the Cubs if he clears waivers.
Velasquez could opt to stick around at Triple-A Iowa if for no other reason than the Cubs’ seemingly endless list of pitching injuries might allow him a relatively quick return to the Show. Chicago has eight relievers and 11 pitchers overall on the 15- or 60-day IL now that Martin has been sidelined.
Martin last pitched on Thursday, when he threw a scoreless inning in the Cubs’ 8-7 win over the Phillies. The rookie southpaw been quite impressive since making his Major League debut in early April, as Martin has a 2.16 ERA, 32.3% strikeout rate, and 6.5% walk rate over his first 8 1/3 innings and eight games as a big leaguer. A .222 BABIP has helped Martin avoid damage from a lot of the hard contact he has surrendered, but his 2.53 SIERA indicates that he has pitched well beyond that good fortune.
With Martin sidelined and Velasquez in DFA limbo, Rios and Barnes join the active roster as a pair of fresh arms for the beleaguered pen. This is Barnes’ second stint on the 26-man since his contract was initially selected earlier this month, and Barnes pitched in one game (allowing three earned runs in three innings) before being optioned to Triple-A.
Rios came to the organization on a minor league deal in January. The righty last appeared in the big leagues with the Athletics in 2023. He’s been in the Mets’ minor league system for the past two seasons. Rios has just over three years of MLB service time to his name. He’s spent parts of six big-league seasons with the Phillies, Pirates, Mariners, Red Sox, and A’s.
The 32-year-old Rios has a 6.32 career ERA and a checkered injury history. He was off to an uninspiring start to the Triple-A season, posting a 5.06 ERA across seven appearances with Iowa. Rios missed most of 2025 due to health issues. He delivered a solid minor league campaign in 2024, recording a 3.30 ERA with a strikeout per inning for Triple-A Syracuse.
Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Images
Twins please claim Velasquez if we don’t the Astros definitely will. Nice outing for him yesterday but the Cubs need fresh arms and Charlie Barnes can be the new inning eater.
Velasquez makes sense as a waiver wire for the Angels as well, for at least as long as they need someone to bridge the gap between the just-released Jordan Romano and Kirby Yates’s return.
Could be a waiver-order toss up between HOU, MIN, and LAA, depending on how well each team plays over the next few days.
Yakkity Yak, Yacksel’s back
Two phillie legends
Congratulations Yack!
The return (to DFA) of Vinnie Velo…
Fire the health staff because this is ridiculous.
Maton is coming back( Sadly maybe). Hollowell is pitching again. And they bring up this guy and brought up Velasquez so they could release him. Can’t make this stuff up.
Before too long it wil be Yacksmith Eve!
Is this from ren & stimpy?
Ding, ding, ding!!!
So when Riley Martin waved off the trainer the other day there really was something wrong.
I guess so.
Was that against the dodgers on Friday?
I’m referring to the appearance right after Theilbar was injured at home. The trainer ran out and he ushered them back right away.
I remember that he did it but there’s been so many injuries only a month into the season. It’s just a blur sometimes when the injuries happen
I noticed that too. Funny how the rat that appeared along the backstop at Wrigley the other night got more press than Riley Martin on camera waving the coaching staff and trainers off.
That was against the Phillies right? I thought MLB ok players were supposed to be to tough and not get squeamish when they see a rat
Hardly matters who they select because as the team has shown this weekend with Dodgers, Dodgers are far superior in any which way. Back to normal- only 13 left on base and shutout. Easy dodger win! But looking on bright side, they did manage to win a game. Half the dodger regulars didn’t even play and their top 3 starting pitchers didn’t even pitch this whole series.
Hey everyone—-there’s Bruce!! Came out of hole that you’ve been in for two weeks, huh? You know, the troll hole.
We last saw you in the Seiya story a couple of weeks ago laughing away about the Cubs were only average and Busch this, and roster construction that–blah, blah, troll, blah, blah and that —hey now the Cubs have to play the “good” teams Mets, Phils, Dodgers, Padres–
Well they are 10-3 against those teams and you magically appear after they lose two games. Hey guess what–Dodgers top 3 pitchers didn’t start—neither did Horton nor Steele!!!
Everyone reading here—Bruce even broke the news that the Dodgers are far superior. That’s baseball journalism and insight at its finest.
Hey Bruce—we get to enjoy your wisdom on all 67 losses this year—keep up the good work.
Why can’t you just admit it that given this past weekend going up against the best albeit not playing with a full deck, the measuring stick was a total failure!
Just accept the fact that this cubs measuring stick failed easily this weekend!
But that measuring stick of the Mets and Phiilies that you listed two weeks ago (of which the poster noted your last disappearance) was a resounding 9-1 success.
I join the group enjoying your trolldom.
Really looking to your profound happiness in October. Can hardly wait for that insight.
But to their credit the cubs took full advantage of the Mets and Phillies not playing well. Not so much the cubs using the dodgers as their real measuring stick.
And furthermore the cubs will be no match for the dodgers if the play like that in October.
And I hate the dodgers however
Phillies have first priority and should claim him, they badly need a multi-inning reliever. VV has a lot more fight in him than most of this year’s group.
Yareal Poof?