It's official: Cubs call up three players, activate Grimm |
CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today activated right-handed pitcher Justin Grimm off of the 10-day disabled list and recalled catcher Victor Caratini from Triple-A Iowa. Additionally, the club has selected the contracts of infielder Mike Freeman and right-handed pitcher Dillon Maples from Triple-A. Chicago’s active roster stands at 29 players.
To make room for Freeman and Maples on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitchers Seth Frankoff and Jose Rosario have been designated for assignment. All four players will be available for the Cubs this afternoon as they continue their four-game series against the Atlanta Braves at Wrigley Field. Freeman will wear uniform number 15 and Maples will wear uniform number 36. Grimm, 29, was placed on the 10-day disabled list on August 18 due to an infection in his right index finger. He made two rehab appearances with Iowa as part of his return, allowing one run while striking out four in two innings of work. Overall, Grimm is 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA (26 ER/43.1 IP) in 39 appearances with the Cubs this season. Caratini, 24, joins the Cubs for the third time this season. He has batted .268 (11-for-41) with three doubles, one home run and two RBI in 17 games with the Cubs during his first two stints from June 28-August 1 and August 11-20. He has started seven games behind the plate, with the Cubs going 5-2 in those contests. The switch-hitting Caratini batted .342 (100-for-292) with 27 doubles, three triples, 10 home runs and 61 RBI in 83 games for Iowa this season. Named a Pacific Coast League All-Star, he turned in a .393 on-base percentage and a .558 slugging mark, good for a .951 OPS. Freeman, 30, joins the Cubs for the first time this season after signing a minor league contract with the club on August 7. He has also been in the Mariners and Dodgers organizations this year and spent most of the campaign at Triple-A, combining to bat .306 (79-for-258) with 10 doubles, three homers, 31 RBI and a .380 on-base percentage in 80 games between Tacoma, Oklahoma City and Iowa. In Triple-A this year, he has played third base (27 games), shortstop (25 games), second base (18 games), first base (one game) and all three outfield spots (11 games). The left-handed batter and right-handed thrower has spent parts of the last two seasons in the big leagues with Arizona (2016), Seattle (2016-17) and the Dodgers (2017), batting .123 (7-for-57) with one homer and two RBI in 41 career games. Defensively, he has played every position but catcher and center field at the major league level. Maples, 25, joins the first big league roster of his career after combining to go 6-3 with 13 saves and a 2.27 ERA (16 ER/63.1 IP) in 52 relief outings with Single-A Myrtle Beach, Double-A Tennessee and Iowa this season. He has struck out 100 batters in 63.1 innings while limiting foes to a .192 batting average. He began the season in Single-A, climbed to Tennessee on June 9 and reached Iowa on July 17, where he went 1-2 with four saves and a 1.96 ERA (4 ER/18.1 IP) in 17 outings to earn his first promotion. The West End, N.C. native was originally selected by the Cubs in the 14th round of the 2011 Draft out of Pinecrest High School in Southern Pines. Overall he is 13-17 with 24 saves and a 4.54 ERA (124 ER/245.2 IP) in 135 minor league appearances (105 as a reliever, 30 as a starter) covering five minor league campaigns in the Cubs system. Frankoff, 29, went 2-8 with a 4.40 ERA (57 ER/116.2 IP) in 24 outings (21 starts) with Iowa this season. He made one relief outing with the Cubs (2 ER/2.0 IP) this year. Rosario, 27, went 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA (13 ER/17.1 IP) in 16 minor league relief appearances this season.
