The Chicago Cubs made headlines Thursday afternoon by sending slugger, Kyle Schwarber, to Triple-A Iowa. Jesse Rogers of ESPN confirmed the move. Schwarber was hitting .171 this season and was hitting just .143 against left handed pitcher. The Cubs also sent Jason Heyward to the disabled list with a cut on his hand. The Cubs called up Mark Zagunis, who will see major league action for the first time, and recalled pitcher, Dylan Floro.
Meet Mark Zagunis
Zagunis was a third round pick in the 2014 draft, the same draft that Schwarber was in. Zagunis was ranked the sixth best prospect in the Cubs system according to MLB.com.
Zagunis was hitting .259 and a team leading 11 home runs with the Iowa Cubs. Zagunis was leading the Pacific Coast League in walks with 48 walks this season. He bats right handed and plays in the outfield.
It's unclear when Zagunis will get playing time. As of now, Albert Almora Jr. and Jon Jay have been receiving playing time in the outfield. Both have been productive hitters at the plate as well. The Cubs open a series against the Miami Marlins. If Zagunis gets playing time and produces, it could raise his value making him a potential trade chip for a starting pitcher. If not, the in-house plethora of riches continues.
Meet Dylan Floro
Most Cubs fans might not remember Floro, so here's a quick infomercial of the newly called right hander.
This will be the second stint for Floro with the Cubs this season. Floro is 26 years old. At the major league level, Floro has a 8.53 earned run average. He has appeared in just two games, with 6.1 innings pitched, and six strikeouts. At the minor leage level, Floro has had some success. He has a 3.48 ERA in 33.2 innings pitched.
Floro has not pitched in the majors since late May. Floro might be a long relief option with Mike Montgomery and Eddie Butler in the rotation. Montgomery has made the case to stay in the rotation. If Montgomery keeps pitching well once Kyle Hendricks comes back injury, Floro could take over Montgomery's original role for a little bit.
Heyward injury a blow
Heyward sustained the injury on Sunday in a 7-1 win over the Pirates by sliding into foul territory trying to catch a ball. Heyward was removed from the game. Heyward was batting .258 for the season with an on base percentage of .315. The team's right fielder was in third place in the latest 2017 MLB All Star Game voting. Heyward's time on the DL could open up the spot for Ben Zobrist, fourth in the voting, or Marcell Ozuna of the Marlins, currently in fifth.
