CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs added infielder Nicky Lopez and reliever Drew Pomeranz as part of a flurry of moves before Wednesday night's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Lopez signed a one-year contract and Pomeranz was placed on the roster two days after he was acquired in a trade with Seattle. It was announced that Pomeranz would report to Triple-A Iowa after the deal, but he watched Tuesday night's 11-10 victory over the Dodgers at Wrigley Field.
Infielder Gage Workman was designated for assignment, and right-hander Gavin Hollowell was optioned to Iowa. The NL Central leaders also transferred left-hander Justin Steele to the 60-day injured list.
The Cubs also scratched designated hitter Seiya Suzuki from their series finale against Los Angeles because of right wrist soreness. Suzuki, who is day to day, was replaced by Justin Turner.
Lopez spent most of spring training with Chicago, but he opted out of his minor league deal on March 21. He signed with the Los Angeles Angels and went 0 for 6 in five games before he was designated for assignment on Friday.
The 30-year-old Lopez is from Naperville, Illinois, about 35 miles west of Chicago. He played for the crosstown White Sox last year, batting .241 with a homer and 21 RBIs in 124 games.
“It was cool to live out the dream of playing for a hometown team, so to be able to come north and do that is special,” he said. “So I definitely don't take it for granted. I am going to go out there and give it my all and do everything I can to help this team win.”
Lopez can play all over the infield, but his biggest value for Chicago might be at third base. Matt Shaw began the year as the starter, but the prospect was sent down after he got off to a slow start. Workman started at third on Tuesday and committed two errors.
“You're going to see multiple third basemen I think in the game on a day-to-day basis, and I think Nicky fits and is able to kind of execute that profile,” manager Craig Counsell said.
Pomeranz signed a minor league contract with Seattle on March 27. He went 0-1 with a 4.66 ERA and two saves in nine appearances with Triple-A Tacoma.
The addition of Pomeranz puts another left-hander in a Chicago bullpen that is off to a shaky start. The Cubs began the day with a 5.34 bullpen ERA.
But the 36-year-old Pomeranz has been hampered by a variety of shoulder and arm injuries, including flexor tendon surgery. He hasn't appeared in a major league game since 2021; he signed a one-year contract with San Francisco last May, but did not get into a 2024 game with the Giants.
“Since I got hurt in 2021, I've just been trying to get back,” he said. “I got back for a little bit last year. I mean I was up for four days, but I knew I was up for four days. And then I kind of went home after that. To be honest, I didn't think I was going to play anymore.”
But Pomeranz wanted to get back into a big league game, so he eventually started throwing again in the offseason.
“I'm just happy to be here,” he said. “Literally feels like the first time all over again.”
Pomeranz has a connection to Counsell. He had a 2.39 ERA in 25 appearances with Milwaukee in 2019 while Counsell was in the dugout with the Brewers.
He is 48-58 with a 3.91 ERA in 289 games (140 starts) over 11 years in the majors, also playing for Colorado, the Athletics, San Diego, Boston and San Francisco.
Also Wednesday, Counsell said Javier Assad was on his way to Chicago to visit with doctors after he experienced more discomfort on his left side. The right-hander, who is coming back from a left oblique strain, pitched four innings in his second rehab start with Iowa on Tuesday.
Workman, 25, was a Rule 5 draft pick from Detroit. If he clears waivers, the Cubs have to offer him back to the Tigers. He went 3 for 14 with two RBIs in nine games with Chicago.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Jay Cohen, The Associated Press
