Chicago Cubs announce seven September call-ups

The Chicago Cubs made seven September call-ups on Tuesday, adding five pitchers, an outfielder and a catcher to the big league roster for the season’s final month.

Pitchers Brian Schlitter, Dan Straily, Arodys Vizcaino, Zac Rosscup and Eric Jokisch, outfielder Junior Lake – who spent most of the regular season with Chicago – and catcher Rafael Lopez were all added to the roster as part of the team’s September call-ups.

Several of these players spent time with the big league club at some point this season, most notably Schlitter and Lake. The right-handed 28-year-old appeared in 53 games for the Cubs this season, allowing just two home runs in 49 1/3 innings of work in which he posted a respectable 3.47 ERA.

Lake took a major step backwards after an impressive rookie campaign in 2013, during which he batted .284/.332/.428 in 64 games after being called up midseason. 2014 was a very different story for the 24-year-old outfielder, who limped through 98 games with a dismal .219/.243/.346 line. He will likely see some action, but it appears as if he will not reclaim a starting spot in the Chicago outfield on a regular basis.

Straily, who was acquired from the Oakland Athletics in the Jeff Samardzija–Jason Hammel trade earlier this season, made eight starts between Oakland and Chicago this season, pitching to the tune of a 5.36 earned run average. The 25-year-old right-hander made one start for the Cubs, which was a struggle, as he allowed five earned in five innings of work.

Rounding out the pitching talent are Vizcaino, a once highly-touted prospect with the Atlanta Braves who has not pitched in the big leagues in several years due to arm injuries and the left-handers Rosscup and Jokisch. Vizcaino has appeared in games with Advanced Class-A, Double-A and Triple-A this season, posting a 3.50 ERA in 40 games, averaging 9.2 K/9. However, with Iowa, the righty struggled with a 1.964 WHIP and a 5.40 ERA in 18 innings of work.

Rosscup, a 26-year-old southpaw, has made 11 appearances with the big league club this season, but has also struggled, posting a 12.96 ERA and an astronomically-high 2.280 WHIP. However, with Triple-A Iowa, the lefty is 2-0 with a 2.10 ERA in 29 appearances.

One more player who could join the club in the near future is corner infielder Mike Olt, whose season with Iowa ended early due to an injury. He had previously been with the big league club, but despite his impressive 12 home runs in 72 games as a rookie, he batted just .139/.222/.353. However, since that point, he has dominated Triple-A pitching, with a slash-line of .302/.348/.555 in 28 games.

Outfielder Justin Ruggiano‘s season also drew to a close on Tuesday, as he was placed on the 60-day disabled list. The former South Florida outfielder hit six home runs and 13 doubles with Chicago this year, batting .281/.337/.429 in 81 games.