Gone are the days of rosters expanding to 760 players in September, but teams are allowed to carry 28 over the last month of the season. For the Cubs, that means activating Jordan Wicks to expand the rotation and recalling Miles Mastrobuoni to lengthen the bench. Because Wicks was on the 60-day IL, the Cubs had to make a corresponding move to create room on the 40-man roster.
Rather than part ways with anyone, they recalled Nick Madrigal and placed him on the 60-day IL with a left pinky fracture. This feels like delaying the inevitable, as it’s very difficult to imagine Madrigal maintaining a spot in the organization once the season ends and his IL designation goes away.