​Five days after being released, the Cubs signed outfielder Chas McCormick and assigned him to Triple-A Iowa. If you’re curious about the sequence, McCormick exercised his opt-out at the start of the month, became a free agent, and then re-signed with the Cubs after failing to receive a more appealing offer from another team. In other moves, outfielder Ethan Conrad was promoted from the ACL Cubs to Low-A Myrtle Beach, though he did not appear in tonight’s game. Outfielder Derik Alcantara also moved up to Myrtle Beach from Mesa. Left-hander Doug Nikhazy was sent from Triple-A Iowa to the ACL Cubs.
In a game at Iowa, the Cubs defeated the St. Paul Saints (Twins) 3-1. Andrew Wentz started and earned the win, allowing just one run on three hits over 5.2 innings while striking out seven and issuing two walks. Phil Maton began a rehab assignment in the seventh inning, facing five batters and retiring all of them, including three strikeouts. Vince Reilly worked the final 1.1 innings for the save, permitting only a two-out walk in the ninth and recording no strikeouts. Iowa’s offense was powered by a second-inning home run from catcher Christian Bethancourt, his ninth homer of the year, to account for all three of the Cubs’ runs. Bethancourt went 1-for-3 on the day. Third baseman Owen Miller was productive with a 3-for-4 performance, including three doubles. Second baseman James Triantos contributed 2-for-4 with one run scored. Center fielder Chas McCormick went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base, scoring on Bethancourt’s homer.
Across the league, the Knoxville Smokies defeated the Biloxi Shuckers 9-6. Brooks Caple earned the win with a six-inning quality start, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks, while striking out six. Luke Little closed it out with a clean ninth inning for the save, retiring the side in order and recording a strikeout. Owen Ayers provided a two-run homer in the third inning, his 22nd of the year and 16th with Knoxville, as he went 2-for-5 with four RBIs overall. Left fielder Carter Trice added an insurance run with a solo shot in the bottom of the seventh, finishing 2-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored, and now has 11 homers on the season. Second baseman Alex Madera contributed 2-for-4 with one RBI.
In Cedar Rapids, the South Bend Cubs were edged by the Kernels 3-2. Nawier Mulé delivered a solid start for South Bend, permitting one run on one hit across four innings while walking two and striking out two. Eli Jerzembeck took the loss after giving up a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth; he allowed two runs on two hits over one inning, walking one and striking out one. South Bend managed only three hits in the loss. The game featured notable moments, including Trice’s solo homer and Ayers’ two-run shot earlier in the day, though South Bend could not hold off Cedar Rapids in the late innings.
Overall, the day’s slate included a mix of roster shuffles, minor-league debuts and promotions, rehab appearances, and several notable performances at the plate and on the mound, as teamsContinued to refine their lineups across Triple-A, Low-A, and the affiliated levels. The central storyline focused on McCormick’s opt-out and return to the Cubs organization, complemented by Iowa’s win behind Wentz and Bethancourt’s timely power, echoed by Knoxville’s multi-homer support and Cedar Rapids’ late-inning drama against South Bend.