Report: Cubs reliever headed to the DL |
CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today placed left-handed pitcher Clayton Richard on the 15-day disabled list with a blister on his left middle finger and optioned right-handed pitcher Adam Warren to Triple-A Iowa. The Cubs have selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Gerardo Concepcion and recalled right-handed pitcher Spencer Patton from Triple-A Iowa.
Both Concepcion, who will wear uniform number 50, and Patton, who will wear uniform number 45, will be available for the Cubs tonight as they continue their three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field. Concepcion, 24, joins the first big league roster of his career after combining to go 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA (5 ER/35.0 IP) in 22 relief appearances between Double-A Tennessee and Iowa this season. He began the year with Tennessee and turned in 17.2 scoreless innings covering 10 relief outings to earn the promotion to Iowa on May 12. In his first Triple-A stint, Concepcion has posted a 1-0 record with a 2.60 ERA (5 ER/17.1 IP) in 12 relief outings. Between the two stops this season, Concepcion has struck out 34 batters in 35.0 innings with a 0.97 WHIP and a .165 batting average against. With Iowa, Concepcion has limited left-handed hitters to a .190 batting average. Concepcion originally signed a five-year major league deal with the Cubs prior to the 2012 season after earning Cuban National Series Rookie of the Year honors in 2011 when he went 10-3 with a 3.36 ERA in 21 games (16 starts) for the Industriales. He was removed from the 40-man roster following the 2012 campaign but has gradually progressed through the Cubs system, reaching Double-A for the first time in 2015. A native of Havana, Cuba, Concepcion has gone 8-11 with two saves and a 4.80 ERA (104 ER/195.0 IP) in 103 minor league appearances, all but 14 in relief, covering the last five seasons. Patton, 28, has posted no record with eight saves and a 1.04 ERA (3 ER/26.0 IP) in 26 relief appearances with Iowa this season. He has walked only nine hitters while striking out 42 in 26.0 innings, good for an average of 14.5 strikeouts per nine innings. Patton has limited opponents to a .196 batting average and a 1.04 WHIP. He joins the Cubs for the second time this season as he made one relief appearance (May 7 vs. Washington, 0.0 IP, 1 ER) for the club during his previous stay from May 5-7. Patton broke into the big leagues with Texas in 2014 and went 1-0 with a 0.96 ERA (1 ER/9.1 IP) in nine big league relief appearances before splitting the 2015 campaign between the Rangers and Triple-A Round Rock. He was acquired by the Cubs from Texas last November. Overall, Patton is 2-1 with a 7.02 ERA (26 ER/33.1 IP) in 37 major league relief outings, averaging more than one strikeout per inning with 36 strikeouts in 33.1 frames. Richard, 32, has gone 0-1 with one save and a 7.30 ERA (10 ER/12.1 IP) in 22 relief outings for the Cubs this year. Warren, 28, has gone 3-1 with a 4.56 ERA (13 ER/25.2 IP) in 25 relief appearances for the Cubs this season. The #Cubs have selected the contract of LHP Gerardo Concepción and recalled RHP Spencer Patton from @IowaCubs. pic.twitter.com/GlYJY63rU0
