The Chicago Cubs added more pitching depth to their major league roster Wednesday by calling up Chris Flexen and optioning left-hander Tom Cosgrove to Triple-A Iowa.

ESPN’s Jesse Rogers initially reported the move Wednesday morning, and the team confirmed it in the afternoon.

Flexen, a veteran arm, has had stints with the New York Mets, KBO’s Doosan Bears, Seattle Mariners, Colorado Rockies and most recently the Chicago White Sox during the 2024 season. He signed a minor-league deal with the Cubs this past offseason.

Per Rogers, Flexen is being called up to add depth to the Cubs’ pitching staff, and it isn’t related to Shota Imanaga leaving Tuesday night’s start early with leg cramps. Flexen has an out in his contract on May 1, so he needed to be added to the big league roster before that date.

“Flexen has been pitching well,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters in Pittsburgh on Wednesday. “He is going to serve a length role, similar to what Colin Rea did at the start of the season.”

The Cubs already are without starter Justin Steele for the remainder of the season, and Imanaga’s injury scare Tuesday night was a stark reminder the team needs pitching depth.

Flexen, 30, has posted impressive numbers so far this season for Iowa, with a 3-0 record and a 1.16 ERA in five starts. Part of that might be attributed to a change in arm slot, as Marquee Sports Network’s Alex Cohen explained.

“I was in very bad body positions — lack of command, lack of stuff, lack of life,” Flexen said of his performance before his mechanical change. “We tried to drop the slot … enough to be able to create a little more lasso whip in the arm to help me with consistency and command.”

Flexen has a plethora of MLB experience in both the rotation and bullpen, with 110 career starts and 43 relief appearances.

As Counsell mentioned, Flexen can serve as a swingman for the Cubs, providing length out of the bullpen or filling in as a spot starter if the team needs rotation depth.

Last year, Flexen went 3-15 with a 4.95 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in 33 games (30 starts) for the White Sox. His best years came in Seattle, where he posted 4.6 WAR and a 3.66 ERA in 64 games between the 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons.

“This is a guy that’s had success,” Counsell said. “You have confidence that (he) can get back on track and pitch well. … He’s gotten major league hitters out and was doing a great job of getting Triple-A hitters out. He earned an opportunity.”

Cosgrove, 28, was called up by the Cubs on April 27 and appeared in only one game, tossing two shutout innings against the Pirates on Tuesday night.

The Cubs initially acquired Cosgrove in an April 10 trade with the San Diego Padres.