ST. LOUIS — Ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, the Cubs made a roster move to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. 

The team outrighted infielder Edwin Ríos. Ríos was already with Triple-A Iowa, so the move was made in order to create some roster flexibility. Ríos, 29, signed a major-league deal in Spring Training and was on the Opening Day roster. Ríos last appeared in a major league game with the Cubs on June 3 against the Padres, going 0-for 3 with 3 strikeouts. 

The Cubs’ 40-man roster sits at 39. 

The left-handed hitter appeared in just 18 games for the Cubs this season, slashing .071/.235/.214 with a home run, a double and 2 RBI in 34 plate appearances. Ríos was non-tendered by the Dodgers in the offseason, but had some success in limited time in the big leagues — he had 20 home runs in 112 games across parts of 4 seasons. 

With Iowa this season, Ríos has 5 home runs and is slashing .258/.366/.444 in 35 games.