Cubs activate OF Jason Heyward from 10-Day DL … Recall LHP Jack Leathersich from Triple-A Iowa … Option INF Jeimer Candelario and RHP Felix Pena to Iowa
The Cubs announced four roster moves Tuesday morning prior to the first of two with the Rays. As expected, OF Jason Heyward was activated from the 10-day disabled list. LHP Jack Leathersich was recalled from Triple-A Iowa. To make room on the 25-man roster, INF Jeimer Candelario and RHP Felix Pena were optioned to the I-Cubs.
Heyward and Leathersich, who will wear uniform number 51, will be available for Joe Maddon as the Cubs begin their two-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Wrigley Field. Heyward is starting in right field, batting sixth behind rookie Ian Happ.
With Tuesday’s moves, the Cubs roster stands at 13 pitchers (five starters, eight relievers) and 12 position players.
Jason Heyward, 27, has been on the disabled list since June 22 due to a left hand abrasion. He played two games at Low-A South Bend as part of his rehab assignment. Heyward went 3-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored and an RBI. He is batting .258/.315/.399 (51-for-198) with six doubles, two triples and six home runs for a .714 OPS in 55 games with the Cubs this season.
Jack Leathersich, 26, joins the Cubs for the first time this season. In 10 appearances since the beginning of June with Iowa, he has posted a 0.64 ERA (one earned run in 14 innings) while striking out 26 batters and walking only five. Overall, Leathersich has gone 0-2 with a 4.56 ERA (13 earned runs in 25 2/3 innings) and 1.36 WHIP in 22 relief outings, striking out 42 batters in 25 2/3 innings, an average of 14.7 strikeouts per innings. Leathersich has limited opponents to a .191 batting average.
The southpaw returns to the big leagues for the first time since 2015, when he went 0-1 with a 2.31 ERA (three earned runs in 11 23 innings) in 17 relief outings with the New York Mets before his season was cut short due to Tommy John surgery that July. Leathersich returned from his rehab to make 26 minor league appearances across three levels of the Cubs organization last year, combining to go 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA (five earned runs in 23 1/3 innings) and 1.20 WHIP, advancing as high as Triple-A (five appearances, no earned runs in five innings).
Leathersich was originally selected by the Mets in the fifth round of the 2011 Draft out of the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. He was claimed off waivers by the Cubs on November 19, 2015.
Jeimer Candelario, 23, is batting .152/.222/.303 (5-for-33) with two doubles and one home run for a .525 OPS in 11 games covering two stints with the Cubs this season. With Iowa, he is batting .272/.364/.518 (61-for-224) with 22 doubles, three triples and nine home runs for a .882 OPS in 64 games
Felix Pena, 27, is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA (eight earned runs in 16 innings) and a 1.56 WHIP in 10 relief appearances covering three stints with the Cubs this season. He is 1-1 with four saves, an 8.31 ERA (16 earned runs in 17 1/3 innings) and a 1.84 WHIP in 13 relief appearances with Iowa this season.