NEWSLETTER
UPDATE: Sure enough, the Luke Little call-up is happening, with much more on the big lefty relief prospect here from Bryan.
The Cubs made it official before today’s game, designating reliever Shane Greene for assignment to make room on the active roster. Now we know for sure: Greene was only ever up with the big league team to be super-duper-extreme depth surrounding last week’s double-header. For however good he looked at Iowa as he tried to rebound in his career, clearly the Cubs feel they have better options going forward.
Speaking of which, in addition to Little, the Cubs may yet get Brad Boxberger and Brandon Hughes and Nick Burdi back, may yet call up Ben Brown, and may even get back Marcus Stroman later this month. So I can understand the Cubs looking ahead and deciding that Greene was going to get squeezed out eventually (and the Cubs might need his 40-man roster spot eventually, too).
Greene will hit waivers and it’s possible a team could claim him to help down the stretch on the cheap. It’s also possible he will clear waivers and will head back to Iowa as continued emergency depth for the Cubs.
*original post follows*
We knew it was coming at some point, and once Luke Little checked the box of having pitched back-to-back games, that must’ve been the last step for the Cubs.
Little will be coming up to join the big league bullpen:
Little, 23, began the year as a starter at High-A, but the Cubs decided he was a guy who could rise quickly if they converted him to the bullpen, where he was pretty much always destined to wind up. They were right, as he cruised from High-A to Double-A, and then to Triple-A, where he’s been for only the past month, striking out 41.2% of the batters he’s faced.
A 6’8″ monster of a lefty, Little has a delivery that makes it extra hard on fellow lefties, and I’ve gotta believe that’s one way he’ll immediately be used. Not that he has to be limited to match-up duties, but I’m not sure he’ll get full-inning high-leverage shots right away.
The question now is whose spot will Little be taking on the 28-man roster. There is an open 40-man spot, so that part is easy enough. But is someone in the bullpen hurt? Just getting a breather? Are the Cubs already cutting bait on Shane Greene? We’ll see soon enough.
