James Russell has the most appearances by a left-handed pitcher in Cubs franchise history.
But that doesn't matter now.
In September, nothing matters but winning.
The Cubs designated Russell and veteran righty Rafael Soriano for assignment Tuesday to make room on the 40-man roster for pitcher Trevor Cahill and outfielder Quintin Berry as rosters expanded.
"It's just a numbers game, more than anything," Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. "We weren't looking to get rid of anybody, but with the 40-man roster crunch at this time of year, that can make some tough choices.