Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full) 

28 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, and twelve players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors. 

Last updated 3-26-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 15
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
* Miles Mastrobuoni
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
Alexander Canario
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 12 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Ben Brown, P 
Alexander Canario, OF 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Keegan Thompson, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

 



 

Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Daryle Ward (and maybe Micah Hoffpauir) gets a shot

It looks like a DL stint is in the Wardosaurus' future. The Cubs premier bat off the bench apparently injured his low back when he took a tumble at first base during spring training and it just kept hurting. This makes more sense regarding his slow start as he was 0-14 as a pinch hitter until his recent run of three game changing pinch hits.

His back pain persisted so an MRI yesterday was obtained and diagnosed a herniated disc. He's agreed to get an epidural cortisone injection to treat this. The treatment means a few days of rest (ie. no baseball activities) and so expect another Iowa callup, most likely power hitting lefty 1B-OF Micah Hoffpauir.

The lumbar spine has 5 bony segments or vertebrae connected by discs which are made of fibrous tissue (the annulus fibrosis) filled by softer gel like material (tha nucleus pulposus). When a disc herniates, the fibrous tissue usually tears and the gel like center of the disc pushes through the tear in the annulus, leading to pressure on the nerve tissue nearby. Disc herniations occur most frequently at the two lowest levels labeled by their vertebral segments (L4-5 and L5-S1, after the 5th lumbar segment is the Sacrum).

Treatment is based on the severity and the pattern of pain. The term radicular is used if a nerve root is pinched and produces pain or numbness that radiates down the leg (also generically called sciatica, after the sciatic nerve which is formed from the most common nerve roots involved in disc herniations at these levels) and if the nerve roots that are pinched control a muscle, weakness such as a dropfoot can occur. If the pain doesn't radiate into the leg (non-radicular) it's only lower back pain that results.

Since they want the speediest of recoveries, it appears they are going to give D. Ward an epidural steroid injection (cortisone shot, aka ESI). The epidural space is the anatomic space just outside of the sac where all the nerve roots are contained (the dura). Putting cortisone there theoretically works on the inflammation/swelling produced by the disc herniation and if it works, which it certainly can, should relieve the pain. It probably won't get rid of the herniated disc but it's the symptoms that count as not all disc herniations cause back or leg pain.

Of course there are other treatments that will be used to treat this including the usual non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication and specific back related exercises particularly strengthening abdominal muscles but the acute flare up needs to be addressed first and this involves a few days of rest. If there is no leg pain or weakness, it's unlikely that surgery will be involved.

Here's to a speedy return for a professional hitter.

(drop) footnote: Micah Hoffpauir was 2-4 last night for Iowa including a 3 run HR and 5 rbi's. If you hear a knocking sound out there Micah, it's Mr. Opportunity.

 

 

Comments

Hendry last night did announce that Pie was sent to Iowa, stating that he will join the I-Cubs in Round Rock on Friday. I'm not sure what the protocol is to reverse that but I think Lou's more likely to use Hoffpauir off the bench to pinch hit than Pie at this point.

From the Muskrat: Fukudome, by the way, went 3-for-5 with a double, and scored two runs. He may be moving up in the order to No. 2 with the addition of left-handed-hitting outfielder Jim Edmonds, who is expected to make his Cubs debut on Thursday. That will be Thursday's headline. http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20080514&content… I really like the idea of Fuku in the 2 spot and The Sotomizer in the 5-hole (sorry couldn't resist). Hopefully Edmonds will go on a 5 month vengeance spree and I will be able to not completely hate his fucking guts.

I hated Rodman's guts. Red Sox fans hate Johnny Damon. I'm gonna hate his guts much more if he completely sucks. Re: epidural, my older borther had one a couple months ago. While it worked as a pain relief for abt. 60 days, I was with him at the rainy 4-3 loss and he said the pain has returned. Maybe Ward will have to see Reed's PT?

The lineup with Edmonds is very tricky. I am all for moving Fuku up because he is showing more to be an on base guy versus an rbi guy. However, Theriot has done everything asked of him in the #2 hole and deserves to stay there for now. My lineup would be: Theriot Fuku Lee Ramirez Soriano Soto Edmonds DeRosa If Soriano stays in one spot, I would do the same lineup with everyone moved down one spot. Fuku would be #3.

I'm curious as to if anyone has watched Josh Kroeger in the outfield at Iowa. How's his defense? He's gotten hot and is now pasting righties for a .326/.381/.537 line. He's over two years younger than Hoffpauir, has played a lot more outfield, and just seems to be a more rounded hitter. Any comments?

Daryle Ward showed up for spring training with his back in such bad shape he couldn't even work out in February and he didn't play until the second week of ST. His collision with Mark Redman happened on March 22 and while there's no doubt it aggravated things it isn't the cause of his back problem.

Re Josh Kroeger-- I've been interested in Kroeger since he hit .380 in half a season in Double-A last year. The Cubs--I mean, Piniella--got a peek at him in spring training, where Kroeger got six hits in 21 at bats. Hoffpauir, meanwhile, got 62 turns at bat and put up numbers that were ridiculous. Hoffpauir also had a good spring the year before. So Lou definitely thinks of Hoffpauir first when he thinks of lefty power bats in the organization. Besides, they got Edmonds, so they're looking to replace Ward as a backup first baseman, not outfielder.

DWard was available on the bench yesterday, so I expect the same is true through the weekend. Basically the epidural steroid injection was probably scheduled electively for monday. The MRI made the diagnosis (basically it just shows the anatomy) but the symptoms are somewhat chronic so it's not treated like an acute injury. They just don't do epidural injections for pain on an acute/urgent basis. Now if he's pregnant and the baby's on the way they'll put the epidural in pronto (sans steroid).

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    yeah, for me this isn't about who's better at 3rd.  it's madrigal, period.  for me it's about who's not hitting in the lineup because madrigal is in the lineup.

    occasional play at 3rd for madrigal, okay.  going with the steele/ground-ball matchup...meh, but okay, whatever.

    seeing madrigal get significant starting time...no thanks.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Yeah I am very disappointed Madrigal is starting. He has no business as a starter. He is AAA insurance, a back up at best. Sure his defense looks fine because he plays far enough in that his noodle arm isn’t totally exposed. It comes at the cost of 3B range.

    He’s garbage, and a team serious about winning would NOT have him starting opening day.

  • crunch (view)

    in other news, it took 3 PA before a.rizzo got his 1st HBP of the season.

  • Eric S (view)

    With two home runs (so far) and 5 rbi today … clearly Nick Martini is the straw that stirs the Reds drink 😳

  • crunch (view)

    madrigal at 3rd...morel at DH.

    making room for madrigal or/and masterboney to get a significant amount of ABs is a misuse of the roster.  if it needed to get taken care of this offseason, they had tons of time to figure that out.

    morel played almost exclusively at 3rd in winter ball and they had him almost exclusively there all spring when he wasn't DH'ing.

    madrigal doing a good job with the glove for a bit over 2 chances per game...is that worth more than what he brings with the bat 4-5 PA a game?  it's 2024 and we got glenn beckert 2.0 manning 3rd base.

    this is a tauchman or cooper DH situation based on bat, alone.  cooper is 3/7 with a double off eovaldi if you want to play the most successful matchup.

    anyway, i hope this is a temporary thing, not business as usual for the rest of the season.  it will be telling if morel is not used at 3rd when an extreme fly ball pitcher like imanaga is on the mound.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    There are two clear "logjams" in the Cubs minor league pipeline at the present time, namely AA outfielders (K. Alcantara, C. Franklin, Roederer, Pagan, Pinango, Beesley, and Nwogu) and Hi-A infielders (J. Rojas, P. Ramirez, Howard, R. Morel, Pertuz, R. Garcia, and Spence, although Morel has been getting a lot of reps in the outfield in addition to infield). So it is possible that you might see a trade involving one of the extra outfielders at AA and/or one of the extra infielders at Hi-A in the next few days. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    18-year old SS Jefferson Rojas almost made the AA Tennessee Opening Day roster, and he is a legit shortstop, so I would expect him to be an MLB Top 100 prospect by mid-season. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Among the relievers in the system, I expect RHRP Hunter Bigge at AAA Iowa and RHRP Ty Johnson at South Bend to have breakout seasons on 2024, and among the starters I see LHP Drew Gray and RHP Will Sanders at South Bend and RHP Naz Mule at ACL Cubs as the guys who will make the biggest splash. Also, Jaxon Wiggins is throwing bullpen sides, so once he is ready for game action he could be making an impact at Myrtle Beach by June.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    I expect OF Christian Franklin to have a breakout season at AA Tennessee in 2024. In another organization that doesn't have PCA, Caissie, K. Alcantara, and Canario in their system, C. Franklin would be a Top 10 prospect. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The Reds trading Joe Boyle for Sam Moll at last year's MLB Trade Deadline was like the Phillies trading Ben Brown to the Cubs for David Robertson at the MLB TD in 2022.