You never know for sure how the timing of certain seemingly innocuous moves will impact you down the line, but when the Cubs optioned Alec Mills back to AAA Iowa on August 30 to make room for Mike Montgomery, that meant he could not return to the Cubs for 10 days. At the time, it sure seemed fine, since he had just made a start and didn’t figure to make another one any time soon.
And then the rains came. It would have been very nice to have a stretched out Mills available to start Game One yesterday instead of a Jaime-Garcia-led bullpen day, but alas, Mills was not eligible to return until today.
So, now he’s back:
The #Cubs today recalled RHP Alec Mills from @IowaCubs. pic.twitter.com/M5ET9EUVRa
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 9, 2018
Mills, 26, made a great start against the Reds and a one-really-bad-pitch start against the Mets while filling in for Montgomery. He doesn’t figure to make starts until/unless the Cubs have a need or sew things up, but he could be a reasonable multi-inning option out of the bullpen.