The Chicago Cubs have filled the roster spot vacated by Kris Bryant, who hit the IL with a sore finger and wrist yesterday. It’s outfielder Ian Miller coming up from South Bend. To make room for Miller on the 40-man roster, reliever James Norwood was transferred to the 45-day IL. He’d already been out for a while with a shoulder issue, and now won’t be back until well into September, if at all.
As for Miller, 28, you probably remember him as the extreme speed guy from Spring Training. It’s a limited skill set as he’s highly unlikely to offer you much at all from the plate, though he might be usable as a pinch-hitter against righties. Instead, Miller’s value is going to come from late-game outfield defense, if necessary, and pinch-running. It’s a rare situation in today’s game that you want a dedicated pinch-runner (even in the extra-innings situation, having a little extra speed at second base to lead off the inning is a modest trade-off if the guy you’re taking out of the game doesn’t have horrible speed and is otherwise a useful player).
That said, with a large bench, it’s always nice to have a guy who does at least one useful thing at an elite level – and it’s a skill that isn’t likely to get mired in a slump.