Chicago Cubs Place Brandon Morrow on Disabled List
Morrow's DL stint will be retroactive to Sunday
By James Neveau ••
What to Know
Brandon Morrow was placed on the DL retroactive to July 15
Hoerner was the Cubs' first round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft
The Chicago Cubs are dealing with injuries both on their Major League roster and in their farm system as the All-Star break finishes up.
On Thursday, the team placed reliever Brandon Morrow on the disabled list with right biceps inflammation. Morrow, who also missed time this season with a back injury, doesn’t expect to be out long-term with the injury, which occurred before the All-Star break.
Relief pitcher Anthony Bass was called up from the minor leagues to replace Morrow on the roster.
The development path for first round pick Nico Hoerner also hit a bit of a stumbling block, as the infielder will be out for four-to-six weeks with a left arm ligament injury.
Joe Stiglich
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NBC Sports Bay Area staff
Currently in the final year of his contract, Britton has long been a coveted trade piece, but some struggles this season may be hampering his trade value. He has a 3.68 ERA and four saves for the Orioles in 15 games, but could still be a worthwhile addition for a Cubs team still looking for lefty help due to the struggles of Brian Duensing and Mike Montgomery’s ascension into the rotation.
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Assuming the Mets make deGrom available, the Cubs would be silly not to at least kick the tires on him. The Mets reportedly want a few Major League ready pieces, favouring a retooling instead of a rebuild, and that could benefit a Cubs team that has traded away a slew of top prospects over the last few seasons. The addition of deGrom would make the Cubs’ rotation one of the best in baseball, and with the struggles of Jose Quintana and Kyle Hendricks, could make a lot of sense.
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Dietrich would be a great piece for a Cubs team that highly values its flexibility, as he can play five different positions. The big downside for Dietrich, who is hitting .288 with 11 home runs, would be finding him a regular spot to play. The Cubs already have a glut of MLB-ready hitters, and it’s unclear who they would send out to make room for Dietrich. If another trade requires a player like Ian Happ to complete, then Dietrich could be a very intriguing option to fill that spot.
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The Cubs are likely satisfied with Victor Caratini as a back-up catcher, but the team does tend to try to lock up veterans for that role down the stretch, and Ellis would certainly qualify. A free agent at season’s end, Ellis is batting .284 in 109 at-bats, and could be a great complement to Willson Contreras and allow Victor Caratini to get more seasoning in the minor leagues.
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With the health concerns of Yu Darvish and the struggles of Tyler Chatwood, the Cubs could look at low-cost options to bolster their pitching rotation, and Eovaldi could be intriguing. He strikes out a good number of batters, with 45 in 51 innings of work, but his penchant for giving up home runs could turn teams off on the market.
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He has a 2.88 ERA in 40 appearances, and with Brandon Morrow’s durability a concern, adding another closing option could be a smart idea. nUPDATE: Familia has been traded to the Oakland A's for international slot money and two prospects.
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If the Cubs are looking for a player who could potentially give them some rotation insurance, Happ is a very intriguing option. He has a 4.29 ERA in 19 starts this season, but has looked solid of late and is a strikeout machine, fanning 121 batters in 109 innings.
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One of the more interesting trends in baseball has been the move to valuing relievers with unorthodox deliveries, and Ziegler qualifies. He has just 34 strikeouts in 47 innings, and does have just 10 saves in 47 appearances, but if the Cubs are looking for a value option with past success in his career, perhaps Ziegler could fit that bill.
Hoerner, whom the Cubs took in the first round of June’s MLB Draft, was playing with the South Bend Cubs when he sustained the injury. He hopes to play again at some point this season, with a possible trip to Arizona Rookie League or the Arizona Fall League serving as a possible landing spot.
The Cubs will get their season back underway Thursday when they take on the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.
