- The Cubs’ relief corps took a hit this afternoon as the club placed right-hander Yency Almonte on the 15-day injured list with a shoulder strain. Almonte has been a rare bright spot in a struggling Cubs bullpen this season, pitching to a solid 3.45 ERA with a 3.34 FIP in 15 2/3 innings of work since coming over from the Dodgers alongside first baseman Michael Busch in a trade this past offseason. Manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune) that there’s no timeline for Almonte’s return to action, leaving the Cubs to piece together solutions in the bullpen while he joins Julian Merryweather, Daniel Palencia, and Drew Smyly in departing the bullpen for the injured list in recent weeks, though right-hander Ben Brown’s recent move from the rotation to the bullpen in deference to Justin Steele could help to fortify the club’s relief corps.
Cubs Rumors
Cubs, Kyle McGowin Agree To Minor League Deal
The Cubs have purchased the contract of right-hander Kyle McGowin from the Atlantic League’s Charleston Dirty Birds, the independent team announced (on X). According to the transaction log at MLB.com, he’s headed to Double-A Tennessee.
McGowin suited up at the MLB level for the Nationals each season between 2018-21. He made a career-high 27 appearances in 2021, pitching to a 4.20 ERA through 30 innings. Washington outrighted him off the 40-man roster at the end of that season. McGowin hasn’t pitched in the majors since then. He spent part of last season in Triple-A with the Astros, struggling to a 7.36 ERA over 62 1/3 frames in the Pacific Coast League.
The 32-year-old made a pair of impressive starts in the Atlantic League. He fanned 11 against one walk over 10 innings of four-run ball. McGowin pitched almost exclusively in relief during his MLB time with the Nats, but he has spent most of his minor league career as a starter. He owns a 5.08 ERA in parts of six Triple-A campaigns and has a managed a 4.34 mark through six years at the Double-A level.
Cubs Place Dansby Swanson On Injured List, Reinstate Seiya Suzuki
The Cubs are placing shortstop Dansby Swanson on the 10-day injured list due to a right knee sprain, with outfielder Seiya Suzuki reinstated from the IL in a corresponding move. The move is retroactive to May 8, per Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Swanson has been bothered by his knee since playing the Astros a few weeks ago, tweaking it during a slide, per Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic on X. That timeline corresponds with a downturn in Swanson’s production, as he was hitting .236/.310/.393 after the Houston series but just .150/.227/.225 since.
The fact that he’s been able to play through the issue perhaps suggests it isn’t major and he’ll be able to make a quick return, though further updates will undoubtedly be forthcoming in the next few weeks.
Nico Hoerner should cover shortstop for however long Swanson is out, which could lead to Nick Madrigal or Miles Mastrobuoni covering the keystone. Neither of them are having a good year at the plate, with Madrigal at .217/.265/.283 for the year and Mastrobuoni at a dismal .000/.067/.000.
Swapping one of those two in for Swanson will hurt the Cubs’ lineup, but that will be at least partially offset by the return of Suzuki. He was hitting a scorching hot .305/.368/.525 through 15 games before a right oblique strain sent him to the IL.
Cody Bellinger has been acting as the club’s designated hitter for the past three games since he was reinstated from his own IL stint, but one of the two will have to be in the field if the Cubs want both bats in the lineup on a regular basis. Those two figure to be sharing the DH spot and outfield playing time with Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ian Happ and Mike Tauchman.
Cubs Acquire Jake Wong From Reds
The Cubs acquired minor league right-hander Jake Wong from the Reds late last week, according to the transaction log at MLB.com. He is not on the 40-man roster. The 27-year-old made his organizational debut with Double-A Tennessee.
Wong entered the professional ranks as a third-round pick of the Giants in 2018. Cincinnati acquired him as the player to be named later in an offseason trade that sent Rule 5 pick Blake Sabol to San Francisco. The Reds called Wong up for one appearance at the end of June. He allowed three runs in as many innings working in relief against the Orioles. Cincinnati outrighted him off the 40-man roster not long after.
The Grand Canyon product struggled in the upper levels of the minors with Cincinnati. Wong pitched to a 5.17 ERA over 47 Double-A frames. He had a particularly tough time in Triple-A, where he allowed more than a run per inning while walking more hitters (18.1%) than he struck out (12.8%). That’s a season he’ll obviously look to put behind him. Wong had better numbers in High-A while a member of the San Francisco organization back in 2022, turning in a 4.52 ERA while punching out more than a quarter of opposing hitters.
Cubs To Activate Cody Bellinger
Cubs manager Craig Counsell announced that outfielder Cody Bellinger is going to be activated from the injured list today, relayed by Bruce Levine of 670 The Score on X. The full slate of moves was laid out by Madde Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times on X, with outfielder Alexander Canario optioned to Triple-A, while right-hander Daniel Palencia was placed on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder stiffness with fellow righty Keegan Thompson recalled to take his place. Additionally, outfielder Seiya Suzuki is going on a rehab assignment, playing with Triple-A Iowa tomorrow. Lee was among those to relay that on X.
Bellinger landed on the IL a couple of weeks ago after colliding with the Wrigley Field wall and fracturing two ribs. Despite that scary diagnosis, he’s made a quick return without going out on a rehab assignment.
Prior to the injury, Bellinger had hit five home runs in his first 22 games of the season. Despite a tiny .215 batting average on balls in play, he was still slashing .226/.320/.440 for a 107 wRC+. With the Cubs in 2023, he hit 26 homers and had a .307/.356/.525 batting line, which translated to a 134 wRC+.
The quick return should be good for both the club and for Bellinger personally. Assuming he finds a bit better batted ball luck going forward, his numbers this year could move closer to where they were last year. That would naturally be good for the club’s offense while also helping set Bellinger up for this winter.
Despite his strong 2023 season, Bellinger never found a large contract to his liking. That was perhaps at least partially due to his notable struggles in 2021 and 2022 in the aftermath of shoulder surgery. He returned to the Cubs on a three-year deal with opt-outs after each season, allowing him to grab a bit of financial security while also giving him the chance to return to free agency when he sees fit.
Another lengthy injury layoff would have hurt his chances at maximizing his earning power this coming winter, so the quick turnaround still gives him a shot at putting together a good stretch of quality playing time between now and the end of the year.
Pete Crow-Armstrong came up when Bellinger first got injured but it seems he’s sticking around for now. His defense is excellent but he’s hitting just .216/.231/.351 on the year so far. Perhaps he will stick in center with Bellinger in a corner or in the designated hitter slot, with Mike Tauchman and Ian Happ also in that mix. But when Suzuki is ready to come off the IL, perhaps Crow-Armstrong will be optioned back down for regular playing time with Bellinger back in the regular center field role.
Cubs Notes: Bellinger, Suzuki, Steele, Mervis
The Cubs currently sit at a solid 20-14 record, just one game back of the Brewers for the NL Central lead. That strong start has come in spite of a number of key injuries: staff ace Justin Steele was pulled from his Opening Day start against the Rangers due to a hamstring strain and hasn’t taken the mound in the big leagues since, while the club more recently lost both Cody Bellinger and Seiya Suzuki to rib and oblique injuries, respectively.
Fortunately for Chicago, however, it appears that all three stars are nearing a return to action. Manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including ESPN’s Jesse Rogers) this afternoon that both Suzuki and Bellinger could be back in action some time next week, while MLB.com’s Injury Tracker notes that Counsell indicated to reporters yesterday that Steele is slated to be activated from the IL and take the ball in Monday’s game against the Padres.
All three updates are fantastic news for the Cubs. When Suzuki was placed on the IL on April 15, the Cubs’ offense had produced a solid 108 wRC+ (11th in the majors) but the offense has scuffled in the right fielder’s absence with just a 93 wRC+ (17th in the majors) since then. The club’s struggles at the plate have become even more pronounced since Bellinger was placed on the shelf, as the club has posted a 73 wRC+ (24th in the majors) with an ISO of just .101 since then.
The club will have some interesting roster decisions to make upon the duo’s return, as top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong has made a solid impression with a 90 wRC+ and elite defense in center field while Bellinger has been on the shelf while veteran fourth outfielder Mike Tauchman has capitalized upon everyday opportunities and is now hitting a scorching .276/.406/.460 with a wRC+ of 154 in 106 trips to the plate this season. The most likely outcome appears to be Crow-Armstrong returning to Triple-A while Tauchman takes over as the club’s regular DH, with Bellinger and Suzuki immediately returning to their usual places in center and right field. That being said, it’s possible the club views Crow-Armstrong’s defense and baserunning as too valuable to lose and instead looks to carry him as a bench player even after the return of Bellinger and Suzuki.
While Chicago’s offense has struggled without its two star outfielders, the rotation has flourished even without the fifth-placer for last year’s NL Cy Young award. The Cubs’ rotation has a collective ERA of 3.35 that ranks sevent-best in the majors this year. Shota Imanaga (0.78 ERA), Jameson Taillon (1.13 ERA) and Javier Assad (1.97 ERA) have been nothing short of dominant as they’ve led the group in Steele’s absence while youngsters such as Hayden Wesneski, Ben Brown, and Jordan Wicks have combined for a solid 3.27 ERA in 11 starts to fill out the back of the rotation. That being said, Steele’s return would allow the club to return either Wesneski or Brown to a beleaguered bullpen that has struggled to a well below average 4.50 ERA and ranks bottom-five in the majors in terms of fWAR.
In less positive Cubs news, the club optioned first baseman Matt Mervis to Triple-A Iowa today, recalling utility infielder Miles Mastrobuoni to take his place on the roster. Mervis got top-100 prospect buzz entering last season thanks to his rapid climb through the minor leagues that saw him reach Triple-A in just his second professional season, but he’s stalled out at the level despite an excellent .297/.393/.556 slash line at the level for his career.
He’s received two cups of coffee in the majors to this point in his career but has failed to hit in either of them, with a .155/.222/.259 career slash line in 127 trips to the plate at the big league level that includes a nine-game stint this season that saw him go just 3-for-26 with a 30.8% strikeout rate. Mervis will now return to the minor leagues to await his next opportunity, though at this point he appears to be blocked by the likes of Michael Busch, Bellinger, Tauchman, and even Crow-Armstrong in terms of left-handed options for the club.
Seven Veterans With Opt-Out Opportunities Tomorrow
As part of the 2022 collective bargaining agreement, MLB and the Players Association agreed to a few automatic opt-out dates for some veteran players on minor league contracts. Article XX(B) free agents — generally, players with over six years of MLB service who finished the preceding season on a big league roster — who sign minor league contracts more than ten days before Opening Day receive three uniform chances to retest free agency if they’re not promoted.
The first comes five days before the start of the season. For players who pass on that initial opt-out, they have additional windows to explore the open market on both May 1 and June 1 if they’ve yet to secure a spot on the 40-man roster. There were 31 players who initially had that option in Spring Training.
Eleven of them — Carlos Carrasco, Garrett Cooper, Chase Anderson, Tyler Duffey, Dominic Leone, Matt Barnes, Eddie Rosario, Jesse Winker, Jesse Chavez, Brad Keller and José Ureña — are now on major league rosters. Kevin Pillar, Bryan Shaw and Joely Rodríguez also landed MLB jobs but were subsequently designated for assignment. Rodríguez remains in DFA limbo with the Red Sox. Shaw cleared waivers and signed a minor league deal with the Angels. Pillar elected free agency over the weekend.
Five of these players — Matt Duffy, Kolten Wong, Carl Edwards Jr., Drew Pomeranz and Curt Casali — triggered their first opt-out and have since signed new minor league contracts, either with their previous organization or a different club. They presumably secured some kind of opt-out provision in their new deals, but they no longer have an automatic May 1 out date. Five others — Elvis Andrus, Eduardo Escobar, Mike Moustakas, C.J. Cron and Jake Odorizzi — were let go and have yet to sign elsewhere.
The other seven players have the option to retest free agency tomorrow. None of the group has played well enough to likely leverage their opt-out right into an immediate MLB job, but two or three could decide to hit the market and look for a better minor league opportunity elsewhere.
Angels: OF Jake Marisnick
Marisnick has spent most of his career as a glove-first outfielder off the bench. He’s a right-handed hitter with some pop against lefty pitching but subpar on-base skills. Marisnick had appeared in 46 MLB games between three teams a season ago, but he hasn’t been on the field much in 2024. He made just five appearances for the Halos’ top affiliate in Salt Lake before going on the minor league injured list on April 17.
Blue Jays: 1B Joey Votto
Votto inked a minor league deal with his hometown team early in Spring Training. The former MVP indicated at the time he was prepared to open the season in Triple-A. Votto suffered an ankle injury during his first exhibition game and has spent the entire season on the minor league IL. Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith tweeted last week that Votto was running but had yet to resume hitting live pitching. It feels safe to assume he’ll pass on this opt-out chance and continue working back to health with the Jays. Daniel Vogelbach, who is on the MLB roster as a lefty bench bat, hasn’t produced (.111/.304/.167) over his first 23 plate appearances. That could open a path for Votto to get to Rogers Centre once he’s healthy.
Cubs: OF David Peralta
Peralta opened the season on the injured list with Triple-A Iowa. He was reinstated on April 10 and has appeared in 13 contests. The left-handed hitter has drawn nine walks with only seven strikeouts through his first 55 plate appearances, but he hasn’t done any kind of damage on contact. Peralta has just two extra-base hits (both doubles) and an overall .214/.364/.262 line through the season’s first month. The former Gold Glove left fielder played in 133 games for the Dodgers a year ago, hitting .259/.294/.381 over 422 plate appearances. He underwent surgery to repair a flexor tear in his throwing arm last October but has been able to play the outfield this season.
Mets: 1B Jiman Choi
Choi lost a camp battle with DJ Stewart this spring. He reported to Triple-A Syracuse but hasn’t made much of an impact. The left-handed hitter is out to a .191/.333/.340 start with a near-27% strikeout rate over 60 plate appearances. The Mets probably wouldn’t add him to the MLB roster, but Choi could take the opportunity to look for another minor league deal with a team that has a clearer path to first base/DH time. Pete Alonso and J.D. Martinez have those spots secured in Queens, while Stewart and Mark Vientos are above him on the depth chart as bench bats. Choi struggled with injuries in 2023 but was an above-average offensive performer with the Rays between 2019-22.
Rangers: Shane Greene
Greene has made three MLB appearances in each of the last two seasons. The right-hander was excellent in a limited look in Triple-A with the Cubs last year but has had a terrible start to 2024. Greene has walked 14 of the first 49 batters he’s faced for Round Rock, allowing 15 runs in eight innings. The Express placed him on the IL last week. Texas certainly can’t give him a spot in the MLB bullpen at this point. There’s a good chance Greene elects to stay in Round Rock as he tries to get healthy and find his command.
Red Sox: Michael Fulmer, Roberto Pérez
Neither Fulmer nor Pérez has played this season. Fulmer will miss the entire year after undergoing elbow surgery last fall. His contract is a two-year deal; he almost certainly won’t be exercising any of his three opt-out chances.
Pérez missed most of 2023 after undergoing a rotator cuff repair on his right shoulder. He played in seven games this spring but has spent the regular season on the minor league IL with an undisclosed injury. The Sox have gotten excellent play from their catching tandem of Connor Wong and Reese McGuire in the season’s first month. Perhaps Pérez feels there’s a better path to playing time if he signs a minor league deal with another team, but it seems likelier he’ll stick in the organization.
Pirates, Brewers, Red Sox Were Other Finalists For Shota Imanaga
Before the Cubs signed Shota Imanaga to a four-year, $53MM deal, the other finalists for Imanaga’s services were the Red Sox, Pirates, and Brewers, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. Boston’s interest in Imanaga was well-known, and Pittsburgh had also been linked to Imanaga’s market, even if the Bucs’ traditional lack of spending makes it somewhat surprising to learn that they apparently came relatively close to landing the southpaw. Of course, “finalist” is a bit of a nebulous term, and it isn’t known just how close the Pirates might’ve come to Chicago in the bidding. For instance, the Red Sox offered Imanaga two years and $26MM in guaranteed money according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, with two more vesting years covering the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
Cubs Place Jordan Wicks On 15-Day IL, Select Richard Lovelady
The Cubs announced a quartet of roster moves today, including the placement (retroactive to April 25) of left-hander Jordan Wicks on the 15-day injured list due to a left forearm strain. Chicago also optioned southpaw Luke Little to Triple-A Iowa, while calling up righty Daniel Palencia from Iowa and selecting the contract of left-hander Richard Lovelady.
News of Wicks’ injury broke yesterday, as the left-hander was an early scratch from what was supposed to be a start in tonight’s game against the Red Sox. It isn’t surprising that Wicks was placed on the IL for at least precautionary reasons, though the severity of the strain isn’t yet known. Speaking to Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune and other reporters today, Wicks didn’t feel too concerned about the strain, though the forearm soreness first arose prior to his previous start and resurfaced afterwards.
The 24-year-old Wicks was selected 21st overall in the 2021 draft, and made his MLB debut in the form of seven starts and 34 innings for the Cubs last season. A respectable (if not totally inspiring) 4.41 ERA over that first taste of the majors put Wicks in the running for a rotation job heading into Spring Training, though Jameson Taillon’s injury helped clear Wicks’ path to a starting role. Justin Steele was then lost to the IL on Opening Day and both Kyle Hendricks and Drew Smyly were also injured within the last week, so Wicks’ forearm strain only continues the string of health woes hitting the Cubs early in the season.
Wicks had performed pretty well over five starts and 23 innings in 2024, or at least better than his 4.70 ERA would indicate. A .358 BABIP and a 64.3% strand rate helped inflate that ERA almost a full run beyond Wicks’ much more palatable 3.62 SIERA, and his 25.9% strikeout rate is well above the league average. Batters have been making solid contact against Wicks’ offerings, though he has also fooled his share of hitters with a chase rate that sits in the 88th percentile of all pitchers.
With Wicks out for at least the 15-day minimum, the Cubs will have to again dig into their starting depth. Shota Imanaga has emerged as the ace of the staff in his outstanding rookie season, youngster Javier Assad has looked very sharp over five starts, and Taillon is now back from the IL. Beyond this trio, rookie Ben Brown might now be sticking in the rotation, and Hayden Wesneski could be stretched out into starter’s duty. Veteran Julio Teheran is available at Triple-A, and Steele might not be too far away, as he is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment this week as he recovers from his hamstring strain.
Palencia has some starting experience in the minors but has worked exclusively as a reliever during his two Major League seasons. He could get some multi-inning work if Wesneski is indeed bumped back into the rotation, while Lovelady should take on a strict (and possibly short-term) bullpen role.
Lovelady signed a minor league deal with Chicago during the offseason, and his 5.84 ERA over 12 1/3 innings (10 appearances) for Triple-A Iowa is one of the more misleading stat lines in recent memory. Despite a 33.3% strikeout rate, 1.7% walk rate, a 53.8% grounder rate and zero homers allowed, Lovelady still has a 5.84 ERA, due mostly to an extreme .564 BABIP.
The 28-year-old southpaw will now get another look in the majors after posting a 5.26 ERA over 65 previous big league frames with the Royals and A’s since the start of the 2019 season. Lovelady missed all of 2022 recovering from Tommy John surgery, and resurfaced last year to deliver a 4.63 ERA across 23 1/3 innings for Oakland.
Red Sox Acquire Garrett Cooper
5:24pm: The deal is now official, as noted by Alex Speier of The Boston Globe. The Red Sox transferred Casas to the 60-day injured list to make room for Cooper on the 40-man roster.
2:39pm: The Red Sox have acquired first baseman Garrett Cooper, the Miami Herald’s Craig Mish writes (via X). MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reported (X link) earlier this afternoon that the Sox were “closing in on” a deal for Cooper’s services, and Cotillo and Sean McAdam report that the Cubs will receive cash considerations in return.
Chicago designated Cooper for assignment earlier this week, and today’s trade officially ends Cooper’s time in Wrigleyville after 12 games and 41 plate appearances. Cooper signed a minor league deal with the Cubs during the offseason and made the Opening Day roster, then hit a respectable .270/.341/.432 with one home run over those 41 PA.
The Cubs intended to use Cooper as a veteran complement to Michael Busch at first base, but Busch has hit so well that the Cubs simply couldn’t take him out of the lineup, limiting Cooper’s playing time to mostly DH and pinch-hitting work. Cooper was also DFA’ed so Chicago could add Matt Mervis to the active roster, as Mervis was on such a heater at Triple-A that the Cubs wanted to give him more of a look in their lineup, leaving Cooper as even more of an odd man out.
While Cooper’s avenues to playing time were closed off in Chicago, the Red Sox had an unwelcome vacancy created at first base when Triston Casas went on the 15-day IL. Casas’ recovery timeline is still very fluid, as Casas stated that estimates have ranged from anywhere from 3-9 weeks. Boston had interest in Cooper back in January when he was still a free agent, and the Sox have now finally landed their man perhaps a few months later than expected.
Over eight MLB seasons, Cooper has hit .268/.337/.435 over 1854 career plate appearances, with 57 home runs. Translating to a 111 wRC+, Cooper tended to fly under the radar as a member of a rebuilding Marlins team for much of his career, and his playing time was further limited by injuries. He even made the All-Star team in 2022, though Cooper’s production dipped to a modest .251/.304/.419 over 457 combined PA with Miami and San Diego in 2023.
Cooper made a pair of appearances in left field for the Cubs this season, marking his first bit of outfield work since 2021. While not exactly a versatile player, Cooper can at least chip in as an outfielder in a pinch, extending his value to the Red Sox even after Casas eventually returns. With Cooper now on the roster, Bobby Dalbec (acting as the interim first baseman) is probably getting sent back to Triple-A, as Dalbec has struggled badly at the the plate this season.
