Cubs make several roster moves |
MILWAUKEE – The Chicago Cubs today selected left-handed pitcher Adam Morgan from Triple-A Iowa and optioned right-handed pitcher Trevor Megill to Iowa. To make room for Morgan on the 40-man roster, Matt Duffy has been transferred to the 60-day injured list. Additionally, right-handed pitcher Ryan Tepera has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a left calf strain and right-handed pitcher Tommy Nance has been recalled from Iowa.
Morgan will wear uniform No. 47, and along with Nance, will be available for tonight’s 7:10 p.m. CT game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Morgan, 31, is 0-1 with a 2.20 ERA (4 ER/16.1 IP) in 15 relief appearances with Iowa this season, walking three and striking out 21 with a 0.80 WHIP. He has held right-handed hitters to a .147 average and .502 OPS while left-handed batters have hit .208 with a .505 OPS. Morgan signed a minor league deal with Chicago this past offseason after pitching in all or part of six big league seasons with the Phillies from 2015-20, going 13-27 with one save and a 4.84 ERA (185 ER/344.1 IP) in 199 games (36 starts). He has held left-handed hitters to a .226 average (103-for-455) with a .300 on-base percentage. Morgan, who has walked 102 batters and struck out 302, appeared in a career-high 67 games in 2018, pitching to a career-best 3.83 ERA (21 ER/49.1 IP) with 22 walks and 50 strikeouts. Originally selected by Philadelphia in the third round of the 2011 draft out of the University of Alabama, Morgan made his big league debut in 2015 as a starting pitcher with the Phillies before moving to the bullpen full-time at the start of the 2017 campaign. Nance, 30, is 1-0 with a 3.20 ERA (7 ER/19.2 IP), nine walks and 21 strikeouts in 18 relief appearances for Chicago in his first major league season. He begins his second stint with the club as he was originally selected from Iowa, May 18 and optioned prior to last night’s game in Milwaukee. Originally signed by Chicago as a non-drafted free agent in January of 2016, the six-foot six-inch Nance is 8-7 with a 3.33 ERA (42 ER/113.2 IP) and eight saves in 71 career minor league relief appearances. He has walked 45, struck out 122 and recorded a 1.21 WHIP with an average of 9.7 strikeouts per 9.0 innings. Nance attended Long Beach State University in 2010, Cypress Junior College in 2011 and Santa Clara University in 2012-13. Prior to signing with Chicago, Nance appeared in 29 games for the Windy City ThunderBolts of the independent Frontier League in 2015. Tepera, 33, has posted a 3.35 ERA (14 ER/37.2 IP) with 14 holds and an 0-2 record in 37 relief appearances for Chicago this season. He has walked 12, struck out 41, recorded a 0.82 WHIP and limited opponents to a .148 average. Megill, 27, made his major league debut this season and has appeared in five games for Chicago, making four scoreless outings prior to allowing six runs (6 BF) last night in Milwaukee. Duffy, 30, landed on the 10-day injured list on May 25 (retroactive to May 23) with a low back strain. He has batted .278 (25-for-90) with four doubles, a home run, 12 RBI and a .377 on-base percentage in 38 games for Chicago.
