Cubs place righthander Anthony Bass on 10-day DL
The Chicago Cubs today placed right-handed pitcher Anthony Bass on the 10-day disabled list (illness, retroactive to July 5) and selected the contract of right-handed pitcher James Norwood from Triple-A Iowa.
Norwood, who joins the first major league roster of his career, will wear uniform number 57 and be available for the Cubs this afternoon as they conclude their three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field.
The 24-year-old Norwood joins the Cubs after going 1-2 with two saves and a 2.13 ERA (9 ER/38.0 IP) in 29 relief appearances between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa this season. He has struck out 44 batters and walked only 12 in 38.0 innings, contributing to a 1.05 WHIP. Norwood has limited foes to a .206 batting average and allowed only two home runs.
Norwood began the 2018 campaign with Tennessee and went 1-2 with a 2.48 ERA (9 ER/32.2 IP) in 25 relief outings to earn his first-career promotion to Triple-A on June 25, where he has tossed 5.1 scoreless frames covering four relief outings leading to today's big league call-up. With Iowa, Norwood has posted a 0.56 WHIP and held opponents to a .158 batting average against.
A native of New York, NY, Norwood was originally selected by the Cubs in the seventh round of the 2014 Draft out of St. Louis University. The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder pitched as both a starter and reliever during his first two years of pro ball before pitching exclusively in relief starting in 2016. Overall, Norwood is 11-14 with 17 saves and a 3.84 ERA (86 ER/201.2 IP) in 127 minor league appearances, all but 15 in relief, covering five seasons in the Cubs minor league system. He is a graduate of All Hallows High School in Bronx, NY.
Bass, 30, has no record and a 0.63 ERA (1 ER/14.1 IP) in 14 relief appearances for the Cubs this season.
Chicago's 40-man roster now stands at 38 players.