Jim Cowsert - USA Today Sports
Jim Cowsert - USA Today Sports

Cubs make several roster moves


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CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today placed right-handed pitcher Anthony Bass on the 10-day disabled list with a right mid-thoracic strain and added right-handed pitcher Jesse Chavez to the 25-man roster. Right-handed pitcher Dillon Maples has been recalled from Triple-A Iowa and right-handed pitcher James Norwood has been optioned to Triple-A. Additionally, right-handed pitcher Luke Farrell has been added to the active roster as the “26th man” for today’s doubleheader.

Chavez, who will wear uniform number 43, Farrell and Maples will all be available for the Cubs today for their day-night doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field.

Chavez, 34, was acquired from Texas on Thursday for minor league left-handed pitcher Tyler Thomas. Chavez is 3-1 with three holds, one save and a 3.51 ERA (22 ER/56.1 IP) in 30 relief appearances with the Rangers this season. He has walked only 12 while striking out 50 in 56.1 innings, an average of only 1.9 walks per nine innings. Chavez has pitched more than an inning in 18 of his 30 appearances this year, including 2.0 or more innings in exactly half of his outings. He is 2-1 with one save and a 2.35 ERA (10 ER/38.1 IP) in his last 21 appearances starting May 4.

The righthander has spent all or part of 11 seasons in the majors with eight different clubs, going 36-52 with three saves and a 4.61 ERA (409 ER/799.0 IP) in 383 appearances, including 70 starts, with Pittsburgh (2008-09), Atlanta (2010), Kansas City (2010-11), Toronto (2012, 2016), Oakland (2012-15), the Dodgers (2016), the Angels (2017) and the Rangers (2018).

Farrell, 27, returns to the Cubs for the fourth time this season. He has gone 3-3 with a 3.86 ERA (12 ER/28.0 IP) in 19 games (one start) with Chicago this year, including a 2.25 ERA (2 ER/8.0 IP) in six relief outings during his most-recent stint from June 26-July 11. Farrell was previously on the active roster from April 20-May 6 and May 28-June 23. With Iowa this season, he has gone 0-2 with a 4.39 ERA (13 ER/26.2 IP) in six starts.

The righthander made his major league debut last year with Kansas City and Cincinnati and is now 3-3 with a 4.39 ERA (13 ER/26.2 IP) in 29 career major league outings, all but two in relief.

Maples, 27, has gone 2-2 with seven saves and a 2.79 ERA (9 ER/29.0 IP) in 30 relief outings with Iowa this season. Maples has fanned 52 while walking 28 in 29.0 innings, and has limited opponents to a .158 average. In his last 16 Triple-A outings since May 25, he has allowed just one unearned run in 15.1 innings, striking out 30 while walking 11. He joins the Cubs for the third time this season (5 ER/2.2 IP, 16.88 ERA, two relief outings).

Maples was originally selected by the Cubs in the 14th round of the 2011 Draft. He made his major league debut in the final month of last season, allowing six runs in six relief outings (5.1 IP). Overall, he is 15-19 with 31 saves and a 4.36 ERA (133 ER/274.2 IP) in 165 career appearances (all but 30 in relief) covering seven minor league seasons. Last year he struck out 100 batters in 63.1 innings across three minor league levels.

Bass, 30, returns to the 10-day disabled list for the second time this season, having just been activated last Thursday after being out since July 8 due to illness. Bass has no record and a 2.93 ERA (5 ER/15.1 IP) in 16 relief appearances for the Cubs this season.

Norwood, 24, is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA (1 ER/2.2 IP) in four relief outings with the Cubs this year. He has combined to go 1-2 with a 2.13 ERA (9 ER/38.0 IP) in 29 relief appearances in the minors between Iowa and Double-A Tennessee.

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