The Cubs reportedly call up the best prospects on the field, and the veteran pitcher as rosters expand
MLB rosters expand as the calendar flips to September and the Cubs call up some reinforcements.
Teams can no longer add their full roster of 40 players to a major league club and can only add a position player and a pitcher with rosters expanding to September 28.
The Cubs are said to be recruiting prospect Alexander Canario as their center fielder, adding the right-handed player to the outfield mix:
September call news: The Cubs are pitching outfielder Alexandre Canario, sources tell ESPN. Canario, 23, has recovered from some serious injuries and recently caught fire in Triple-A. 866 OPS in 36 games this season at Iowa. It will be his MLB debut when he plays.
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) August 31, 2023
In terms of shooting, veteran Shane Green is said to be getting the nod:
September call-up news: The Cubs are pitching veteran right fielder Shane Green, 34, who started at Triple-A Iowa, sources tell ESPN. He hasn’t started a major league game since 2016. In the meantime, he’s made 67 saves, most of them for the Tigers. A story of great perseverance.
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) August 31, 2023
Canario, 23, is already on the Cubs’ 40-man roster and came to the organization two summers ago in the Chris Bryant trade. He was ranked No. 7 on the Cubs’ list by Lance Brozdowski’s preseason roster.
He’s played all three outfield positions this season in the minor leagues and hauled .273/.356/.488 (.844 OPS) with 9 homers and 47 RBI in 53 games.
Canario has missed the first two months of 2023 after suffering devastating ankle and shoulder surgery while playing winter football. He enjoyed a breakout campaign last year with 37 homers, 97 RBI, 23 stolen bases, and a . 899 OPS in three for the Cubs.
He’s been on a tear lately with Iowa, hitting . 324 with a 1.044 OPS, 6 homers and 21 RBI over his last 17 games.
Don’t expect the Cubs to give Canario a bunch of playing time right out of the gate as the team’s player pool is pretty well defined. Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki play every day in the corner while Mike Tauchman and Cody Bellinger split the time in the middle of the field.
“There is no starting task for any player who is coming in now,” said David Ross on Wednesday. “I don’t know they’d be the first person to get hit hard in any situation. I think there’s value in raising guys to feel that environment. There’s value in letting players who aren’t ready for the big leagues continue to develop.
“The great thing about where we are now and how things have changed since I’ve been a player is that the Triple-A team is still playing. We can still use the roster to move players up and down as needed. Having someone healthy, getting new bats and ready to show up If there are still injuries in September is really important.
As for Green, the 34-year-old has a long track record of experience and success in the major leagues. He has 343 MLB games, including 33 starts. He’s spent time as a closer, making 66 saves for the Tigers and Braves from 2016-19.
Greene was an All-Star in 2019 and made the playoffs with the Braves in 2019 and 2020.
He signed with the Cubs on June 25 and served as a Triple-A starter (5 games). The right-hander has found success with a 2.16 ERA, 1.26 whip, and 20 strikeouts over 16.2 innings pitched.
Greene could give the Cubs some length either as a starting spot in a double-hit on Friday or in the bullpen throughout the month of September.
Pete Crewe-Armstrong, the Cubs’ MVP prospect, remains an option to make his MLB debut sometime in September, but it doesn’t make sense to do so now.
Since the Cubs don’t have much playing time at the big-league level right now, Crow-Armstrong can still get daily playing time in Triple-A, a level he’s reached in just 24 games.
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