MLB teams have to reduce their rosters from 30 to 28 beginning Friday, as part of the agreement between owners and players for the 60-game season.
The Cubs announced Thursday that lefthanded relievers Rex Brothers and Justin Steele have been optioned to the team’s alternate training site in South Bend. That will leave 14 position players and 14 pitchers on the active roster, which will remain at 28 players through the remainder of the season, including the postseason. That’s a change from the original agreement, which had a further reduction to 26 two weeks from now.