INJURY NEWS: Welington Castillo to begin rehab with Iowa Cubs Thursday

Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

Chicago Cubs starting catcher Welington Castillo will begin a rehab assignment with the Iowa Cubs on Thursday, reports MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat.

Last week, Castillo began participating in baseball activities in Mesa, Ariz. after being placed on the disabled list with rib cage inflammation on June 3.

Castillo was batting .242/.287/.385/.672 with five home runs and 21 RBIs over 43 games before being placed on the DL. Since the injury, John Baker and Eli Whiteside have split catching duties for the Cubs. To address catching depth, the Cubs signed veteran Yorvit Torrealba last week to a minor-league deal.

Torrealba, 35, has hit .256/.315/.379 with 56 home runs over his 13-year career. He posted a .240/.295/.285 line in 196 plate appearances on the season and spent the spring with the Los Angeles Angels, but opted out of his deal.

Activating Castillo from the disabled list means Rafael Lopez will be sent down to Double-A Tennessee. THe 26-year-old was batting .276/.364/.379/.743 in nine games for Iowa. Prior to his promotion, Lopez was batting .297 with four home runs and 24 RBIs for the Smokies.

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