As expected, with the bullpen ostensibly settled down a bit, the Cubs are dropping back to just eight relievers, sending Rob Zastryzny back to AAA Iowa (Muskat).
In his place, Tommy La Stella returns to the big league team to help out on the bench following Addison Russell’s foot injury. La Stella, believe it or not, returns to a .298/.414/.509 and a 143 wRC+ at the big league level this year. He’s received only 70 plate appearances, though, as a persistently crowded bullpen and a loaded bench have complicated things, and La Stella’s available minor league option made him a frequent fallback option.
As for Zastryzny, he’s had a limited season, having battled through a lat injury, and only recently returned to starting at AAA Iowa. He’ll probably continue doing that before coming back up when the roster expands in September.