Cubs recalling rookie infielder from Triple-A
The Cubs infield is receiving a defensive boost.
The team is recalling Luis Vázquez from Triple-A Iowa, adding the young infielder to the big-league roster. In a corresponding move, David Bote was designated for assignment.
Vázquez was traveling from Detroit to Miami on Friday — the Iowa Cubs were in nearby Toledo, Ohio for a 6-game series. The Cubs opened up a 3-game set against the Marlins on Friday night with a 6-3 victory.
Vázquez, 24, was first called up in May, made his major-league debut in May against Atlanta and then pinch-ran in a 6-3 win over Milwaukee. The call-up was a culminating moment for Vázquez and his family for all their sacrifices to help him reach his goals. He was optioned shortly after that and has been in Iowa since.
The Puerto Rican shortstop missed over a month of action with an oblique injury but returned with a fury offensively. In 7 games since coming off the IL, Vázquez is slashing .321/.345/.750/171 wRC+ with 3 home runs and 5 RBI.
Craig Counsell acknowledged Vázquez is not coming up to the majors to see a bunch of playing time right off the bat. Instead, he will fill Bote’s spot as a bench bat/role player.
“He’s gonna be a backup infielder,” Counsell told reporters before Friday’s game. “I think as you move forward schedule-wise – we went through this pretty good stretch with all these off-days, so there hasn’t really been a need to get a guy off their feet for a day or so. As we move forward in a schedule with more off-days, there should be some starts.”
Known as a glove-first player, Vazquez leapt forward with his bat last season. In 66 games with Iowa, he slashed .257/.381/.428 with 9 home runs and 40 RBI. It came after posting a .179/.211/.262 line in 27 games at Iowa and a .237/.293/.366 line in 86 games in Double-A.
That jump offensively made the Cubs add him to their 40-man roster this past offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. This season with Iowa, Vázquez is hitting .263/.347/.432 with 8 home runs and 24 RBI.
