Cubs Promote Former Braves Pitcher


He was a solid contributor to the Atlanta Braves rotation for a couple of seasons, before moving to the bullpen, and, ultimately, back to the minors. Now Sean Newcomb has been selected by the Chicago Cubs to make his return to the big leagues for the first time in nearly two months. He'll start Game 2 of Thursday's doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals.

The left-hander is a former top prospect for Atlanta, who was acquired in a trade back in April, and has been transitioned back into a starter's role while with the Cubs' Triple-A affiliate in Iowa. 

He had a 3.38 ERA on the farm, and surrendered just 12 hits in 24 innings. But he'll definitely need to get the walks under control, as he issued 18 free passes in those 24 innings, which came along with 31 strikeouts. 

The 29-year-old Newcomb has no minor league options remaining, so he can't be sent back down without being DFA'd. Therefore, the Cubs want to get a good look at him back in the rotation for a few starts, to see what they've got. 

In a corresponding move, infielder David Bote was optioned to Iowa.

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