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 
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Soriano Hit By Pitch on Hand, Early Reports Not Good

In the second inning of Wednesday night's game, Soriano was late to react to a high and tight fastball from Braves' emergency-starter Jeff Bennett, and got hit on his left hand. He was taken from the game to a nearby hospital, where X-rays evidently revealed a "minimally displaced fracture of the fourth metacarpal."

 

I will leave it to our resident M.D., "Cubster," to fill in all the relevant medical details. (Any new visitors to TCR coming for Soriano information really owe it to themselves to come back and read his expert analysis, when he gets the chance.) The early report from the ESPN broadcast team indicated that Soriano might be out for at least six weeks. (Sportscenter now reporting "up to" six weeks, while the article at mlb insists "a minimum" of six weeks.)  On the local broadcast, Len also referred to several weeks on the DL.

 

Regardless of whether it was a direct response, this HBP comes a day after Ted Lilly threw a pitch over Brian McCann's head, the first pitch after having given up a three-run home run to Greg Norton. In the first draft of his post at the Tribune, Paul Sullivan reminded us that last year at Turner Field, Tim Hudson threw at Soriano, leading Lilly to throw at Edgar Renteria the following night, which then led to Renteria throwing a forearm at Mike Fontenot on a play at second. He also is reporting that Micah Hoffpauir will be called up tomorrow to fill the roster spot.

 

Six weeks from now would be July the 23rd, or 34 games between now and then. In the meantime, I would guess that Theriot moves to the leadoff spot with DeRosa being moved to LF and the two-spot in the order, with Cedeno and Fontenot covering second. (quick first update: that said, a quick review of the box scores from the last two weeks of April, when Soriano was out due to a leg injury, indicate that Fontenot and Reed Johnson split lead-off duties, with Eric Patterson also leading off once. Theriot stayed in the two-spot the entire time. While I could live with either of those two options leading off, again, my vote goes to a Theriot-DeRosa combo.)

 

To some extent trying to put a silver lining on this is like pissing in a river, but here are a few attempts. Remeber that Pujols looks like he also will be out for at least three weeks with a leg injury, and the Cardinals' offense is far more dependent on his bat that we are on Soriano's. (And in a complete lay-man's guess, I'd bet that the leg injury is more of a lingering problem than Soriano's finger.) The Cubs and their deep bench should be able to weather this better than the Cardinals will with Pujols out. Theriot and DeRosa won't be miscast at all as a 1-2 duo, and if anything, it should improve the defense a bit. Finally, remember how the Cubs did when Soriano was out for two weeks earlier this season due to a bum leg. The Cubs went 9-5 from April 16th, his first day out of the lineup until his return on May 1st. They averaged 7.35 runs in those games, including four games in which they scored 12, 13, 13, and 19 runs.

 

That said, get well soon, Alfonso.

 

Oh yeah - Cubs win, Dempster pitched a fantastic game.

Comments

Minimally displaced fracture of the 4th metacarpal for Soriano. Medical abstracts say that it's not more than a 10-15 recovery-time injury, but the ESPN and WGN guys are saying that it'll be six weeks 'til we see him on the field again. Here's a medical excerpt on the injury: Forty-six of the fractures (82%) were minimally dis placed or undisplaced and were treated by means of simple casting and/or splinting whereas 10 were dis placed. Two of the 10 underwent closed reduction and casting; 3 underwent closed reduction and percuta neous pin fixation; and 5 (9%) underwent open reduc tion internal fixation using AO type plates and screws. All fractures healed primarily clinically and radiographi cally. The average time lost from practice or competition in this group overall was 13.7 days, (range, 0 to 56 days). Average time lost from basketball was 19.8 days and from football 10.63 days overall. Average time lost from sport in stable fractures treated with casting or splinting was 12.3 days. Those undergoing open reduction in ternal fixation with plate and screws averaged 13.6 days. We concluded that most metacarpal fractures in the athlete can be treated by closed means with a fairly rapid return to sport, depending on type of sport and position played. In certain displaced fractures, open reduction internal fixation can expedite early return to function and return to sport. Emphasis mine. Source: American Journal of Sports Medicine.

Thanks for putting a silver lining on it, Trans. Much appreciated. We did go 9-5 with Soriano out, although D-Lee was hitting the cover off the ball at that time. Hopefully, he can soon get out of his six-week slump.

It was great to get a complete game today. I'm sure the bullpen appreciated the break. I really have to hand it to Dempster, keeping a low (for him) pitch count and holding the Braves to a single digit in the hits column. All Star Ryan Dempster has a nice ring to it, don't you think? That said, something really bothered me about this game, but I can't put my finger on it...

I want to thank Jeff_Pico and you others for mentioning the health of the Cubs last thread. I believe in jinks regarding the Cubs (there is no possible explanation for things I have lived through), and sometimes, especially after 100 years of futility, WHY must you mention shit to the baseball gods?! JUST LEAVE IT ALONE. Just great.

They sure didn't miss Pujols tonight. Dropped a nickel on the Reds in the first inning and won 10-0. Lou said tonight that he's going to call up another position player besides Hoffpauir. Looks like we're about to find out if Matt Murton really IS on Lou's permanent shitlist. Same goes for Eric Patterson. Iowa's hot hitter at the moment.

I wonder if EPat doesn't get called up ahead of Murton. 43 of Murt's 55 hits are singles and Lou detests poor defense. EPat at 2nd and DeRosa in LF wouldn't be half bad, albeit pissing off Cedeno and Fontenot.

hoffpauir up soriano dl hart to iowa murton or patterson up i think murton is about to find out if he has any hope in this organazation. if the move is derosa to outfield i would rather see more of patterson fontenot well i dont see it

Only Alfonso's pinky is injured. He should seriously take this time off now to build strength and confidence in his legs so that by the time he does come back, he is running at full strength.

I think it's far enough in the season for all of us to put to rest all our fears and uncertainties about Demp's ability to be an effective starter. Obviously from the time he took his TJ rehab to the time he was a closer, he has learned something about his pitching that he previously did not. Kudos to Ryan and I hope that he gets on the All-Star team and stays healthy all year and continues with a strong showing come October.

You want a Right-Handed Hitting Left Fielder with Light-Tower Power? Do you? We got one, RIGHT in our system........ JASON DUBOIS, my friends! He of the 1.100+ OPS, and forearms like sewer pipes! Plus, he plays defense like Soriano! BAM! PROBLEM SOLVED! :-)

[ ]

In reply to by 10man

I heard from a friend in Des Moines that he was shagging some extra fly balls to work on his post catch hop/skip thing.

I'd be happy with a Murton/Hoffpauir platoon as well. I think those 2 guys would actually give us roughly the same production (less power, better OBP) as Soriano. Just kidding but kind of not kidding suggestion - is that Bonds guy still available?

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    steele leaves the game with a hamstring or knee injury.  sigh.

  • crunch (view)

    ...and a madrigal "non-error" leads to a sac fly for a tie game.  nice.

    having a ball clank off your glove, but still getting it count as a hit because it was hit hard is a nice stats gift.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    For sure. This lineup isn’t exactly stacked as is, and subbing out a Cooper or even a Tauchman for Madrigal won’t do it any favors.

  • crunch (view)

    the ESPN bottom graphic taking up 1/8th of the screen sucks.

    i only use ESPN during baseball season and i'm forced to watch a baseball broadcast designed to be broadcast in sports bars and betting parlors where the news/scores of other games is as important as what you're actually tuned in to watch.

  • crunch (view)

    morel triple to start the season....yeaaaaaaaaaaaaah

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    LHP Blake Weiman appears to have been the last cut from the AAA Iowa roster. He is with the Tennessee group at Minor League Camp.

     

  • crunch (view)

    bruce bochy is hobbling rather badly for a guy who's had 2 hip replacements.  his gait is extremely wonky taking the lineup card to the ump.

  • 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.