Pedro Strop in Chicago, Expected to Rejoin Active Roster by Wednesday
Pedro Strop is back in Chicago and is expected to be activated either Tuesday or Wednesday as the Cubs continue to drive their bullpen cart down the interstate with a doughnut tire. I’d use the analogy that it’s a shopping cart with a janky wheel, but we can’t exactly equate the Cubs’ issues with shopping.
#Cubs skipper Joe Maddon says Pedro Strop is in town. If he doesn’t rejoin the team “tomorrow then it’s the next day.” @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/rc4jN2L0kE
— Megan Mawicke (@MeganMawicke) June 3, 2019
Unless, of course, they’re serious about kicking the tires on Craig Kimbrel now that he no longer costs them a draft pick. All we know for sure is that Strop is just about ready to return to the mound after being out nearly a month after rehabbing a bum hamstring.
Strop has made only 12 appearances for the Cubs and never really settled into a groove between a slow start this spring and a separate hamstring issue that slowed him through the early part of the season. The Cubs’ most consistent reliever since he arrived as part of the Jake Arrieta trade, Strop would provide much-needed stability to a ‘pen that has sorely lacked it this season.
He made three rehab appearances for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, yielding no runs on one hit and one walk while striking out two. Best of all, Strop required only 27 total pitches (19 strikes) to complete three innings. That kind of efficiency just hasn’t been a hallmark of this Cubs staff at all, so having Strop pitch like that in Chicago would be refreshing.
My guess is that the Cubs would prepare to wait until Wednesday to add him back to the roster, but they’ll make the move sooner if they have to dip into the ‘pen Monday afternoon.