MILWAUKEE — The Cubs kicked off their trade-deadline action by acquiring right-hander Michael Soroka from the Nationals, the team announced Wednesday night.
The Cubs are sending rookie-ball infielder Ronny Cruz, 18, and Triple-A outfielder Christian Franklin, 25, to Washington in the trade. Cruz and Franklin are the Cubs’ No. 13 and 14 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline.
Soroka, who served as a swingman for the White Sox last season, has a 4.87 ERA in 16 starts with the Nats. But his 1.13 WHIP and 3.32 expected ERA suggest his performance might be better than his surface-level stats reflect.
The Cubs can use Soroka, 27, as a starter if needed or out of the bullpen. The team has had success this season taking pitchers with starting experience and maximizing their talents in relief, with Brad Keller serving as a prime example.
Soroka was an All-Star in 2019 with the Braves and finished second in National League Rookie of the Year voting. But he has a considerable injury history and missed the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
The Cubs are expected to continue to pursue pitching up to the 5 p.m. trade deadline Thursday, with a clear need to add to their rotation.
Ballesteros delivers in return
The Cubs called in offensive help for the series finale against the Brewers. And it paid off when Moises Ballesteros, the team’s No. 2 prospect, hit a bases-clearing double in the third inning of the Cubs’ 10-3 win for his first career extra-base hit.
With left fielder Ian Happ out of the lineup after fouling a pitch off his left shin Tuesday, the Cubs recalled the left-handed-hitting Ballesteros and designated utility player Vidal Brujan for assignment.
“That’s great, man,” manager Craig Counsell said after the game.
“You call the kid up, he doesn’t sleep, has a 3 o’clock wake-up call and delivers the biggest hit of the game.”
Ballesteros was in the starting lineup against right-hander Freddy Peralta, serving as the designated hitter and batting seventh. Seiya Suzuki, the Cubs’ regular DH, started in left field.
“I know how to be a little more calm, a little more patient when hitting,” Ballesteros said when asked what he learned in his first major-league stint. “As much as we want to go out there and do things too perfect, you’ve just got to stick to what you do and try to not do too much.”
In his five games in May, Ballesteros went 3-for-16. But he has an .889 OPS in Triple-A this year.
“The batting practice is really impressive,” Happ said, “just his bat-to-ball [skills], his swing path, the way he moves the baseball. I know he’s always hit, and we got to see that in spring training a little bit, too. And so we have a lot of confidence that he’s going to hit at this level. It’s good to have him back and, hopefully for the next couple of months, get to watch him swing it.”
The Cubs, light on platoons, have turned to their bench sparingly. Brujan had only 47 plate appearances and a .222 batting average. But he provided depth all around the field and served as the next outfielder up after Suzuki.
“It was basically just trying to put the best lineup out there today,” Counsell said of the roster decision before the game. “And in moving on from Brujan, moving forward we’re probably going to have to make some other changes to the roster just to get more outfield depth. But for today, it made sense.”
Counsell said there was “some debate” about instead calling up top prospect Owen Caissie, a left-handed power-hitting outfielder. Caissie will be under consideration to provide that outfield depth in the future as long as he isn’t traded.
Happ avoids IL
Happ was adamant that his shin injury would not require a stay on the injured list after his X-rays came back negative the night before.
“Nothing serious,” he said. “I hope to be available in a situation today where I’m needed. Just a little sore and stiff. And try to move everything through it and get it moving today.”
Happ entered in the seventh inning as a pinch hitter and hit a solo home run in the ninth.
Hodge staying in Triple-A
The Cubs reinstated reliever Porter Hodge (right-shoulder impingement) from the 15-day injured list but optioned him to Triple-A Iowa, where he had been pitching on rehab assignment.
“He obviously didn’t pitch well [Tuesday] night, but he’s healthy,” Counsell said. “He’s just going to get regular work, and I think that’s the best way to try to get him back to good form.”
Hodge allowed four runs and walked two in one-third of an inning in his last rehab appearance.
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