Leiter called up to start vs. Rox; Rivas optioned originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Cubs optioned left-hitting bench player Alfonso Rivas to Triple-A Iowa to make room on the active roster for Saturday night’s starter, Mark Leiter Jr. — who makes his first big-league appearance in four years.
Rivas, who was acquired from Oakland in the 2020 trade for Tony Kemp and debuted last year, started two games at first for the Cubs this season as a matchup option against a couple of tough right-handers, going 2-for-4.
Leiter, who signed as a minor-league free agent in December, has one career appearance in Denver — retiring 13 of 15 batters, including nine strikeouts without a walk, in a 2017 relief appearances.
Leiter, who has made 11 career starts and 36 relief appearances from 2017-2018, missed the 2019 season because of Tommy John surgery. After signing a minor-league deal with Diamondbacks before the 2020 COVID-19 season, he wasn’t included on their 60-man roster and had nowhere to pitch with the minor-league season canceled.
He had joined the team in Colorado on Friday and added to the roster Saturday.
In other roster moves Saturday, the Cubs selected the contract Triple-A pitcher Locke St. John — the result of triggering a contract clause for putting him on the 40-man roster.
To clear the two 40-man spots necessary to add Leiter and St. John, Triple-A pitcher Cory Abbott and Triple-A outfielder Greg Deichmann were designated for assignment.
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