The Cubs today made a series of roster moves, with a tight 40-man roster necessitating multiple moves every time someone gets hurt.
Matt Duffy, who has been dealing with lower back issues for a while now – he’s seen just three plate appearances over the last week – is finally hitting the Injured List, retroactive to May 23. Duffy had emerged as an everyday player before his injury, so that really sucks. Hopefully rest and treatment can get him right.
In his place, the Cubs are calling up Patrick Wisdom, a long-time Triple-A/MLB up-down guy who can rake in the upper minors, but who hasn’t ever established himself successfully as a bench guy in the big leagues. The Cubs liked what they saw from Wisdom, 29, at the alt site last year, and he continued to hit at Iowa to open this season. It’s unlikely there’s a long-term bench spot for him right now when guys like Duffy and Jason Heyward and Jake Marisnick heal up, but you never know who goes down when. Just come up and do your thing. Wisdom can play all four corner positions if necessary.
Since Wisdom was not on the 40-man roster, and now has to be added, the Cubs had to open up a spot – doing so by designating reliever Jason Adam for assignment.
Adam, who was not able to show off in the big leagues this year what he showed in limited duty last year, was probably already on the 40-man bubble given the explosion of relief arms in the organization. But it still really sucks to see him tossed off the 40-man roster (rather than put on the 60-day IL) after a his serious ankle injury. He will go unclaimed on waivers, and then it’s a matter of whether the Cubs outright him to Iowa – to keep him in the organization – or whether he’s simply let go. That might tell us a lot about how bad the prognosis is for his injury. Rooting for him either way.
No roster move involving Willson Contreras right now. The Cubs’ catcher was hit on the wrist by a 99 mph fastball on Sunday, and although X-rays were negative (Rogers) and he’s not yet hitting the IL, he is still sore (Levine). He is feeling better than earlier in the week, though (Stebbins). He’s likely do some work today and tomorrow to see how the wrist feels, and then if it’s not better/good to go by tomorrow, that’s when the Cubs will have to make a decision (so I’ll call him “day-to-day” for now). It’s hard to play with just one catcher on the roster in rookie P.J. Higgins.