Cole Roederer (Photo by Stephanie Lynn)

MLB

Rookie Performers

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

The 13 pitcher limit on the 26-man roster finally goes into effect today, more than two years after it was initially planned. As the Cubs are currently carrying 14, they will need to send out one member of their staff and promote a position player. The only healthy position players on the 40-man roster are outfielders Nelson Velázquez and Alexander Canario. They have recently been promoted to AAA and AA respectively and are currently experiencing growing pains while adjusting to their new levels of competition.

Velázquez did receive a brief call up to Chicago a few weeks back, so we could see him again, especially if the Cubs feel David Bote is only a week or so away from returning off the 60-Day IL. Bote just restarted his Iowa rehab over the weekend, playing a partial game at 2B on Saturday, then playing 7 innings at 3B on Sunday. It is unlikely the club would call him up to Chicago before he proves he can handle back-to-back starts in the field, especially since he was forced to cut his previous rehab stint short.

The other option would be to make room on the roster for Jared Young. His name has popped up frequently throughout the year by coaches in AAA and by members of the Cubs front office in interviews. Iowa has begun using him at 3B recently (in addition to his normal 1B/DH/COF roles), and though it wouldn’t be a full time home for him, as a potential MLB bench bat any amount of increased versatility will assist Young in carving out a role. He was drafted as a middle infielder before quickly being converted to a corner guy.

To make roster room for Young (or Bote) they could transfer Michael Hermosillo to the 60-Day IL or DFA a pitcher (Mark Leiter Jr., Adrian Sampson, Alec Mills).

AAA

Iowa 6, Omaha 5

Game Recap

Iowa fought back from a 5-0 deficit to win the game and claim the series against Omaha. Cam Sanders lost command in the 3rd, issuing a walk, hit by pitch, and a wild pitch early in the inning and then also left other pitches over the plate which allowed Omaha to push across four runs and build their early lead.

From there, the Iowa offense began chipping away while the bullpen slammed the door. David Bote brought home Iowa’s first run, scoring Tyler Payne from third on a groundout. Two innings later he doubled home Payne, and Bote eventually scored as well as the I-Cubs managed two more RBI groundouts in the inning. The theme continued in the 6th and 7th, as Iowa once again scored via a groundout, this time on a base loaded double play ball off the bat of Carlos Sepulveda, but it pushed across the tying run. A second RBI double by Bote in the 7th capped off the comeback. Bote looks much more comfortable so far during this rehab stint.

David Bote with his second RBI double of the afternoon to give us the lead! pic.twitter.com/6MezhsmDTi

June 19, 2022

Iowa has suffered some recent bullpen issues, but not in this game. Bryan Hudson relieved Sanders and fired two shutout innings. Bad news did follow however, as Ethan Roberts made his first rehab appearance but exited after one batter while holding his arm in obvious pain. Keep your fingers crossed, but it didn’t look good. Michael Rucker would replace him on the mound and continued the shutout work over the next 1.2 innings to earn the win. Ben Leeper worked an eight pitch 9th to close it out.

Top Performers

David Bote: 2-4, 2 2B, R, 3 RBI (.236)Darius Hill: 3-4, 2B, 2 R (.421)Tyler Payne: 2-4, 2B, 2 R (.344)Jared Young: 1-3, RBI, HBP (.262)Bryan Hudson: 2 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 3 K (3.07)Michael Rucker: 1.2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (W, 1-0, 0.00)Ben Leeper: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (S, 3, 3.26)

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

Clint Frazier made his first start since clearing waivers and agreeing to forgo free agency. He went 0-for-3 with 3 K and a BB as the DH.

AA

Tennessee 5, Pensacola 1

Game Recap

It’s been a quiet assimilation, as it has not been accompanied by much in the way of power, but Cole Roederer is beginning to look comfortable at the AA level. Given his age (22) and the amount of time he missed due to his elbow injury over the past calendar year, this is a surprising and very positive sign. He had his biggest day so far with the club yesterday, reaching base in all four plate appearances while driving in three runs.

Ryan Jensen looked good in his second start since returning from the IL with a shortened arm path. He showed good command, worked at 97 and touched as high as 99 according to the broadcast. He was followed by lefty Dalton Stambaugh, who used his changeup to good effect, and did not allow an earned run over 4.1 innings. Blake Whitney completed the dominance with 1.2 shutout innings to earn his first save.

Clean first with a strikeout for Ryan Jensen, who placed 97 perfectly here: pic.twitter.com/QH60EG286u

June 19, 2022

Top Performers

Cole Roederer: 3-3, 2B, 3 RBI, BB (.268)Jake Slaughter: 2-5, RBI, SB (7) (.370)Ryan Jensen: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (4.22)Dalton Stambaugh: 4.1 IP, 4 H, R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K (W, 4-1, 4.08)Blake Whitney: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 0 K (S, 1, 2.79)

High-A

Quad Cities 2, South Bend 1

Game Recap

D.J. Herz continues to work through a rough patch with his control. He generally remains difficult to hit and score upon even in the outings he loses it, but there is no doubt he hasn’t been as sharp or as efficient over the past few weeks. Still, he kept the Cubs in it, and so did the relievers who followed. It was the struggling South Bend offense that failed to deliver.

Pablo Aliendo and Owen Caissie certainly held up their end. The pair combined to go 7-for-8, while the rest of the lineup managed just three hits (two by Luis Verdugo). But even their success gives a window into the team’s recent struggles, as all seven of their hits were singles. This team is just really struggling to hit for any kind of power right now.

Top Performers

Pablo Aliendo: 4-4, RBI (.234)Owen Caissie: 3-4, R (.246)Luis Verdugo: 2-3, 2B (.235)D.J. Herz: 2.2 IP, H, R, 2 BB, 3 K (2.17)Zac Leigh: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K (5.63)Walker Powell: 3 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 2 K (4.88)

Low-A

Fredericksburg 4, Myrtle Beach 3 (10 Innings)

Game Recap

Kevin Made had been in a bit of a slump earlier this month, but was showing recent signs it might be ending as he had started to draw some walks this past week. Yesterday, he managed a full breakthrough. Not only did he take another walk, but he also doubled, and homered. As the one returning top prospect on the Pelicans club, it has probably been easy to overlook him a bit given all the exciting new additions who debuted in Myrtle Beach this year, but Made deserves some attention as well. He’s a slick fielding true SS, with an ability to barrel the ball. What he struggled with last year was a highly aggressive approach where he basically swung at everything, which mostly limited him to singles, or weak contact. It has been a different story in 2022 though. Not only is he bigger and stronger, but he is far more patient as well. He’s doing a better job waiting for a pitch to drive.

Next AB Made pounds this one into the right-center gap for a ground rule double. pic.twitter.com/DLjX7G7SMA

June 19, 2022

Brand new ballgame. Kevin Made ties it up with one swing of the bat! pic.twitter.com/IkTlVroLGI

June 20, 2022

Kevin Made, 2022 vs 2021.

2022: 13.5 BB%, 146 ISO, 35.1 GB%
2021: 2.5 BB%, 094 ISO, 56.3 GB%

Swing and strength differences are subtle, but have made an impact. pic.twitter.com/ogMabJaeUH

June 20, 2022

Made was basically the lone bright spot on offense for the Pelicans Sunday.

It wasted a solid start by Tyler Santana, and good work by Angel Hernandez and Alfredo Zarraga out of the pen. Hernandez worked two scoreless, and although he did load the bases in his second inning of work he then got a big strikeout before Zarraga came on to help him get out of it. Both of them are interesting recent additions to the Pelicans pen. They each struck out four without walking a batter.

Top Performers

Kevin Made: 2-4, 2B, HR (4), R, RBI, BB (.269)Jacob Wetzel: 2-4, R (.207)Tyler Santana: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, BB, 8 K (2.66)Angel Hernandez: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K (0.00)Alfredo Zarraga: 1.2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K (1.59)