Cubs Select LHP Anthony Kay, Recall Miles Mastrobuoni Among Other Moves
See below for all the details of the Cubs’ latest moves, the most notable of which may be the promotion of lefty reliever Anthony Kay. They made room for him on the 40-man roster by moving Nick Burdi to the 60-day IL and cleared a spot on the active roster by optioning Jeremiah Estrada. Kay will get some of the innings that had been going to Brandon Hughes, who was placed on the IL with a recurring knee inflammation issue.
The Cubs also brought Miles Mastrobuoni back up after he was optioned this past Friday. The turnaround was so quick that he never even reported to Iowa.
The Chicago Cubs today selected left-handed pitcher Anthony Kay and recalled infielder Miles Mastrobuoni from Triple-A Iowa. In corresponding moves, left-handed pitcher Brandon Hughes was placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to June 12) with left knee inflammation and right-handed pitcher Jeremiah Estrada was optioned to Iowa. To make room on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher Nick Burdi has been transferred to the 60-day injured list.
Kay, who will wear uniform number 46, and Mastrobuoni are both available for tonight’s 7:05 p.m. CT game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field.
Kay, 28, has pitched to a 1.08 ERA (1 ER/8.1 IP) with four walks and 10 strikeouts in his last seven games with Iowa dating to May 27. He has held opponents to a .111 average (3-for-27) with a .361 OPS in that span with no extra-base hits allowed. On the season, Kay has no record and a 4.50 ERA (14 ER/28.0 IP) in 23 games (one start) for the I-Cubs, and has held left-handed batters to a .182 average (8-for-44) and a .250 slugging percentage.
Claimed off waivers from Toronto in December of last year, Kay has posted a 4-2 record with a 5.48 ERA (43 ER/70.2 IP) in 28 major league games (seven starts) for the Blue Jays between 2019-22. He has averaged 9.8 strikeouts per 9.0 innings (77 SO in 70.2 IP) with his most extensive big league action coming in 2020, when he made 13 relief appearances for Toronto.
Selected by the Mets in the first round (31st overall) of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Connecticut, he was traded to Toronto July 28, 2019, with right-handed pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson for right-handed pitcher Marcus Stroman and a cash consideration.
Mastrobuoni, 27, is in his third stint with the Cubs having made the Opening Day roster before he was optioned to Iowa, April 14. Also on the roster from May 12-June 9, he has batted .161 (9-for-56) with two doubles, a home run, five RBI and eight walks in 25 games for Chicago. In 18 games with the I-Cubs, he is batting .291 (16-for-55) with five doubles, two triples, six RBI and 22 walks, compared to 18 strikeouts, contributing to a .494 on-base percentage and a .948 OPS.
The five-foot, 10-inch Mastrobuoni was acquired from Tampa Bay in November 2022 for minor league right-handed pitcher Alfredo Zárraga. Selected by the Rays in the 14th round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Nevada, he made his major league debut with Tampa Bay last season, appearing in eight games.
Hughes, 27, is 0-3 with a 7.24 ERA (11 ER/13.2 IP) in 17 relief appearances for the Cubs this season. He was on the 15-day injured list due to left knee inflammation March 27-April 15 and April 27-May 12.
