The Cubs announced a series of transactions as part of the expansion of active rosters from 26 to 28 players. Infielder David Bote was recalled from Triple-A Iowa, while pitchers Justin Steele and Adrian Sampson were reinstated from the restricted list after missing the team’s series in Toronto. Jeremiah Estrada and Brendon Little each had been brought up as temporary substitutes for that series.
Little has been returned to the minor leagues and will not occupy a spot on the 40-man roster, but Chicago is keeping Estrada with the big league club. His contract has been formally selected, and he now occupies a permanent 40-man spot. To create room on the roster, the Cubs transferred a starter Wade Miley from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list.
Estrada, 23, made his first MLB appearance on Tuesday, tossing a scoreless inning out of the bullpen. He struck out two while averaging a blistering 98.1 MPH on his fastball. The right-hander has had a strong season in the minors, working 48 1/3 frames across three levels. He has a cumulative 1.30 ERA with a massive 40.4% strikeout percentage, although his 10.4% walk rate is a bit worrisome. The former sixth-round pick clearly has high-octane stuff and has shown himself capable of missing bats in the minors, and he’ll now get a month to audition for a spot in next year’s season-opening bullpen.
Miley’s transfer is a formality that won’t affect his recovery window. Out since mid-June with a shoulder strain, he’s already spent more than 60 days on the injured list and will be eligible for reinstatement when he’s ready. An impending free agent, Miley has maintained his plans to make it back to the majors this season to showcase his form before he hits the open market. The club hopes he can begin a minor league rehab assignment this week, tweets Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times.
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