The Chicago Cubs are already recalling middle-reliever Eli Morgan, with setup man Ryan Brasier set to start the season on the injured list with a groin strain.
Morgan was optioned to Triple-A Iowa last Thursday after tossing a scoreless outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Tokyo series. It was expected that he wouldn't stay in Iowa for long since he posted a 1.93 ERA over 32 relief appearances for the Cleveland Guardians last year. The Cubs also traded Alfonsin Rosario, a promising power-hitting prospect, to acquire Morgan in November.
It's bitter sweet that Morgan was recalled so quickly. On one hand, he will likely play a vital role in the later innings for the Cubs and having him in the bullpen makes the team stronger. On the other hand, it's concerning that Brasier has already suffered a setback.
Heading into his age 37 season, Brasier has enjoyed a late-career resurgence the past two seasons with the Dodgers, helping them win a World Series with nine innings of work in the 2024 postseason. Although he was solid while on the mound last year (3.54 ERA), Brasier also spent two and a half months on the 60-day injured list with a calf issue.
If Brasier misses a similar amount of time and another reliever goes down with an injury, the Cubs' bullpen depth will again be tested early on. Injuries to key players like Adbert Alzolay, Julian Merryweather, and Yency Almonte exposed the lack of pitching depth as a major flaw for the 2024 team. Although the depth is seemingly stronger this time around after several offseason acquisitions, it would be unfortunate to put it to the test during the first month of the season when the Cubs face a difficult schedule.
Tyson Miller was also placed on the 15-day injured list with a hip issue on Wednesday, and it's currently unclear how long he and Brasier will be on the shelf.
Infielder Vidal Bruján is heading to the 10-day injured list with an elbow sprain sustained after colliding with the outfield wall at Sloan Park on Saturday. Bruján's stint on the IL means the Cubs' bench will include Gage Workman, Justin Turner, Jon Berti, and Carson Kelly to start the 2025 season.
