NEWSLETTER
There’s some good news for your hump day. Just as rosters expanded from 26 to 28, the Cubs have activated a couple of arms, Adbert Alzolay and Dillon Maples.
The #Cubs today activated RHPs Adbert Alzolay and Dillon Maples from the 10-day IL.
The active roster currently stands at 28 players. pic.twitter.com/0Mg372qsBS
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 1, 2021
Maples has been on the injured list since July 28th … with a blister, though it’s worth pointing out that he also five walks and 3 HBPs in the 3.0 innings he completed spanning five appearances just before hitting the IL. I’m sure he really did have a blister, but that one always felt a little more like an opportunity to get a break and reset at a very difficult time. Maples, 29, is out of options and could very well be staring at his final month with the Chicago Cubs unless things somehow go exceedingly – indeed, unexpectedly, well. For however much talent he has, he was just never able to harness it all at once.
Adbert Alzolay, by contrast, was on the injured list with a strained hamstring since August 13th. And while the Cubs undoubtedly wanted to limit his innings at some point this year, I don’t think this was a phantom IL stint. Perhaps they waited until rosters expanded to give him a little more time, but I think they’d like all the data on him they can get.
Alzolay’s season hasn’t gone as well as we might’ve hoped, but there is undoubtedly a starting pitcher in there somewhere. He need to continue figuring out how to attack lefties, but he does have the pieces to make that work. With a little extra focus on his changeup and new slider over the offseason, I suspect Alzolay could – at least – be a useful backend starter next season (though I don’t suspect that’s quite a lock just yet).
