The trade deadline may have passed weeks ago but the Cubs are still looking for pitching depth wherever they can find it.

On Friday, the Cubs claimed 25-year-old right-hander Edwin Uceta off waivers from the New York Mets. The team immediately optioned him to Triple-A Iowa.

The Mets designated Uceta for assignment on Wednesday to clear room on their 40-man roster.

Uceta has missed most of this season with a left ankle injury. When he has pitched, it has mostly been during rehab stints and carried a 1.17 ERA in 7 games (7.2 innings) throughout the minor leagues. He made a single big-league appearance with the Mets, tossing 3 scoreless innings without allowing a hit and striking out 3 batters against 2 walks.

He originally signed with the Dodgers as an amateur free agent in July 2016 and made 14 appearances in Los Angeles in 2021. Since then, he has bounced around with stints in Arizona, Detroit and Pittsburgh before landing with the Mets in early April.

Last season, Uceta had a 4.86 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 12.6 K/9 (70 strikeouts in 50 innings) with the Diamondbacks Triple-A club. He began his career as a starter and carries a 3.87 ERA in 122 minor-league innings.