For much of the season, the Iowa Cubs’ starting rotation has been decimated by injuries. Aaron Brooks went down in spring training. Stephen Fife made it two starts before he was laid low in early April. The Cubs let Eric Jokisch go after he struggled mightily. Pierce Johnson got hurt, then Ryan Williams met the DL. Only Drew Rucinski remained healthy.
To steady the ship, the Cubs brought in Jake Buchanan, who had been with the Astros organization. They also moved Tyler Ihrig and Michael Wagner up from the lower part of the system. Ihrig was released in short order, even after two good outings.