LATEST NEWS

Aug. 29: RHP Jose Cuas placed on MLB's bereavement list; LHP Anthony Kay recalled from Triple-A Iowa
Cuas was placed on the bereavement list, which allows a player to take a minimum of three days and a maximum of seven days away from the ballclub. The 29-year-old righty has posted a 0.75 ERA in 11 appearances since being acquired from the Royals at the Trade Deadline. Kay, 28, returns to the Cubs after logging a 6.35 ERA in 13 previous outings with the club. In 28 games with Iowa this season, the lefty has a 4.37 ERA with 44 strikeouts and 21 walks in 35 innings.

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INJURY UPDATES

15-day IL

RHP Michael Fulmer (right forearm strain)
Expected return: Mid-September
Fulmer had a checkup on Aug. 28 that showed improvement with his right forearm. The hope is that the veteran reliever can resume throwing within a few days. Cubs manager David Ross said the news from the follow-up tests was "as good as we could've expected."

Fulmer was placed on the IL on Aug. 26 (retroactive to Aug. 25) after trying to pitch through discomfort in his throwing arm for the past couple weeks. The veteran righty had a 9.53 ERA in his past seven outings, following a 30-inning run with a 1.20 ERA. Fulmer has a 4.47 ERA in 57 games (one start) overall this season.

"We did our best to try to push through it," Fulmer said on Aug. 27. "It just got to the point -- probably the last few days, last couple of outings -- it just wasn't responding the way it should." (Last updated: Aug. 29)

RHP Marcus Stroman (right rib cartilage fracture)
Expected return: TBD
The Cubs noted on Aug. 29 that Stroman showed positive signs of healing in a follow-up evaluation the previous day. The pitcher has resumed "light activity" behind the scenes, but is still progressing based on tolerance during this early stage of recovery.

Stroman's injury flared as he cooled down after a light bullpen session in Toronto on Aug. 13. The righty was having issues breathing and an MRI exam on Aug. 14 revealed a fracture in his right rib cage cartilage. This injury comes after Stroman landed on the IL on Aug. 1 due to a hip issue. There remains no clear timetable for his return.

"It was pretty alarming, pretty scary," Stroman said on Aug. 18. "No one knows the exact time frame. It's good to know that no matter what I'm going to feel, I'm going to make a full recovery no matter what. But right now in this time, it's hard to kind of deal with, because it's not a time I want to be down." (Last updated: Aug. 29)

60-day IL

LHP Brandon Hughes (left knee inflammation)
Expected return: TBD
Hughes faced hitters in a live batting practice session on Aug. 28 in Arizona and was scheduled to do so again later in the week, per the Cubs. This step comes after the lefty worked through a handful of bullpen sessions in his comeback from a surgical debridement of his left knee on June 28. Hughes has had multiple stints on the injured list this year, posting a 7.24 ERA in 17 games while active for the Cubs. He had a 3.12 ERA in 57 games in 2022 for the North Siders. The Cubs transferred Hughes to the 60-day injured list on June 27. (Last updated: Aug. 29)

RHP Nick Burdi (appendectomy)
Expected return: TBD
Burdi, 30, was diagnosed with "right ulnar nerve irritation" after a recent evaluation and entered a period of rest/recovery, per the Cubs. He is scheduled to resume throwing "in the next few days," the team noted on Aug. 29. The righty worked one inning for Triple-A Iowa on Aug. 18 in his second rehab outing with the affiliate. Burdi underwent an appendectomy on May 24 and was placed on the injured list (retroactive to May 21), then he was moved to the 60-day IL on June 13. He made three appearances for Chicago prior to the setback. (Last updated: Aug. 29)

RHP Brad Boxberger (right forearm strain)
Expected return: TBD
Boxberger was with the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Aug. 28 to check in with the team, and he is scheduled to continue his Minor League rehab stint with Triple-A Iowa on Aug. 30. The righty worked two-thirds of an inning and allowed no runs in his last rehab outing on Aug. 27. Boxberger landed on the 15-day IL on May 15 (retroactive to May 14), but he was transferred to the 60-day on July 4. In 17 Major League games this year, Boxberger has a 5.52 ERA over 14 2/3 innings. (Last updated: Aug. 28)

RHP Ethan Roberts (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: Late 2023 or '24
Roberts has resumed throwing bullpen sessions following a "de-load" period in his throwing program (lower intensity/volume in workload). Per the Cubs, he is scheduled to face batters in a live BP workout on Aug. 8. The righty initially returned to mound workouts in late May in his comeback from Tommy John surgery (July 13, 2022). He appeared in nine games for the Cubs early in 2022 before arm issues derailed his campaign. (Last updated: Aug. 7)

RHP Codi Heuer (right elbow surgery)
Expected return: 2024
Heuer faced another setback in his rehab with Triple-A Iowa on June 20. After firing a 1-0 offering over the head of the opposing Memphis batter, Heuer hopped around the mound in pain while favoring his pitching arm.

Jed Hoyer, the Cubs president of baseball operations, noted on June 24 in London that Heuer underwent surgery on June 23 to repair a fractured right elbow. Heuer will miss the remainder of the season and there is no timetable for his return.

Heuer, 26, was pitching for Triple-A Iowa as he worked his way back from Tommy John surgery (full reconstruction with an internal brace) and was nearing a potential return to the Cubs' bullpen. The silver lining within the latest setback for the hard-throwing righty is that all indications are that his surgically repaired ulnar collateral ligament is intact. (Last updated: June 24)

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