Today, MLB active rosters expand from 26 to 28, with each team permitted to call up an additional pitcher and an additional position player.
For the Cubs, Jordan Wicks takes that pitcher spot, and also takes the start this afternoon. He’s been rehabbing an oblique injury, which followed a forearm injury, all of which is a bummer. He was looking like the stuff had clicked up early this year, and I was looking forward to seeing what he could do over a full season. Now we just hope he can get in four or so starts the rest of the way, and set himself up for a normal offseason.
Wicks, 25, has been able to throw just 28.0 big league innings so far this year (4.18 ERA, 3.10 FIP).
On the positional side, it’s what I suspected: Miles Mastrobuoni returns to be a versatile glove off the bench, a good baserunner, and a lefty bat when they absolutely need another one. A guy like Owen Caissie might come up eventually, but if he wasn’t going to be playing much anyway right now, there could be an understandable preference to keep getting him regular reps at Iowa (where, by the way, he’s hit well, but not bonkers-level: .270/.368/.460/115 wRC+).
Mastrobuoni has hit exceptionally poorly at both Triple-A and in MLB this year, though he’s not really coming up for his bat. We’ll see if he remains up the rest of the way. I guess I just don’t have strong feelings on this one, because even a guy like Mike Tauchman can barely get at bats these days. That is to say, I don’t think we’re going to see whoever was called up today playing a critical role on the offense.
As Sahadev Sharma notes, the Wicks return will require a 40-man spot, since he’s coming off the 60-day IL:
UPDATE: That 40-man spot comes by way of Nick Madrigal, who is already hurt, being called back up to the big league roster SO THAT he can be put on the 60-day IL. A purely procedural move that opens up a 40-man spot for Wicks. (Montemurro)