7:32 PM: Taylor McGregor continues to report some more moves for the Cubs: the right hand Vince Velasquez selected, too Caleb Thielbar placed on IL for 15 days with left hamstring. In addition, Scott Kingery designated for assignment to open an additional spot on the 40-man roster.
6:28 PM: The Chicago Cubs made the 40-man roster ahead of tonight’s game against the Dodgers, adding a center fielder. Nicky Lopez and transfer Porter Hodge to IL for 60 days, by Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network. According to the official team page for the project, Scott Kingery was also optioned to Triple-A Iowa.
Lopez, who was acquired yesterday from the Rockies, did not wait long for his meeting with the Cubs. Lopez made 14 appearances with the Northsiders last season (interestingly enough, his first appearance happened almost exactly a year ago to the day). Now entering his seventh MLB season, Lopez has made a name for himself with solid glove work at multiple infield positions. Most of his career came at 2B (2561 1/3 innings) and SS (2351 1/3 innings), though defensive metrics like DRS (-9) and FRV (-1) soured in his glove to varying degrees over his final three career seasons. Both metrics, however, look to favor his career at key (3 DRS/6 FRV) and hot corner (5 DRS/4 FRV) through 2023.
The flexibility will help Counsell give the starters a rest day and a left-handed bat to play with in the lineup or off the bench. To be sure, Lopez doesn’t break the mold of the traditional, low-key user. His career 73 wRC+ (100 is average) shows he’s below average at the plate, but to his credit, Lopez commands the zone well with a relatively low strikeout rate (14.3%). He’s hitting for less power, and the speed he showed in his Royals heyday (35/39 SB from 2021-2022) is now approaching league average. Still, Lopez made a good enough impression in the clubhouse and management last season to warrant a second bite at the apple.
To make room for the 40-man, Hodge was moved to the 60-day IL after undergoing UCL surgery. Given that Hodge won’t be seen again until 2026, this move is legal.
More to come.
