Chicago Cubs Roster
- NL Central
- Stadium
- Wrigley Field
Chicago Cubs relief pitcher David Robertson suffered his third blown save of the season during Thursday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The veteran right-hander gave up a solo home run in the eighth inning to the tie the game at 7-7. Robertson hasn't been given many save chances lately, but could be on the move soon. The Cubs aren't competitive and are likely to trade Robertson before the trade deadline. He has a 2.03 ERA this season, so fantasy managers should continue to lean on him. Hopefully, Robertson will get traded to a more competitive team soon.
Chicago Cubs pitching prospect Ethan Roberts (elbow) will have Tommy John surgery, although there's no date set for the operation. Roberts injured his right elbow in his rehab outing for Triple-A Iowa on Sunday, and he'll now miss the remainder of the 2022 season and at least half of next year as well. The 24-year-old was also on the injured list since the beginning of May due to right shoulder inflammation, but this is obviously a much worse setback. The Cubs' No. 28 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, made nine relief appearances for the Cubs earlier this year, allowing seven earned runs on 10 hits while walking six and striking out nine in 7 2/3 innings.
Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki (finger) is building up his hitting progression at the team's spring training facilities in Arizona by hitting in the cages. Suzuki is expected to take as many swings as he can this week, but it's unclear when/if the Japanese rookie will go on a minor league rehab assignment. Suzuki is trying to return from a sprained left index finger that landed him on the injured list on May 30, and the swelling in his digit has gone down enough for him to resume swinging a bat. There remains no timetable for the 28-year-old, though, so fantasy managers must remain patient. Suzuki had slowed down a bit at the plate before his injury, and overall he's hitting .245/.344/.432 with four home runs, 21 RBI, 20 runs scored and three stolen bases in his first 41 major league games.
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Marcus Stroman (shoulder) will throw a bullpen session on Wednesday. Stroman resumed playing catch late last week and is now ready for the next step after being out since mid-June with right shoulder inflammation. Fantasy managers should expect the 31-year-old right-hander to require at least one minor league rehab outing before returning to Chicago's rotation. In his first nine starts with the Cubs before his injury, Stroman had a disappointing 5.32 ERA (4.18 FIP) and a 1.22 WHIP with 45 strikeouts and 12 walks in 47 1/3 innings pitched. Stroman is sporting a solid 22.7% strikeout rate and a 6.1% walk rate, though, so he should remain stashed in most fantasy leagues.
Chicago Cubs first baseman Frank Schwindel was placed on the 10-day IL with a lower back strain on Saturday. Schwindel left Friday's game early with the injury, and after evaluation the Cubs have determined he will need a stint on the IL. The 29-year-old appeared to have turned a corner a few weeks back, but has since slid back into a cold spell at the dish, going 7-for-39 without an extra-base hit over his last 11 games. If you don't have any IL spots open, Schwindel is certainly droppable in most leagues. Alfonso Rivas was called up to replace Schwindel.
