The Cubs designated left-hander Richard Lovelady for project Tuesday, per a staff announcement. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to righty Tyson Miller, whose beforehand reported commerce from Seattle to Chicago is now official.
Lovelady, 28, signed a minor league pact with the Cubs again in January and was chosen to the large league roster in late April. He’s tossed 5 2/3 innings out of Craig Counsell’s bullpen and been tagged for 5 runs on 9 hits and a pair of walks with six strikeouts. That marks the fifth massive league season during which the southpaw has appeared; Lovelady made his MLB debut with the 2019 Royals and pitched in Okay.C. from 2019-21, and he logged 23 1/3 innings with the A’s final season. General, in 70 2/3 massive league innings, he carries a 5.48 ERA however with a much more encouraging 22.7% strikeout price, 8.8% stroll price and 49.8% ground-ball price.
That mix of strikeouts, walks and grounders, coupled with a powerful Triple-A observe report, has made Lovelady interesting to MLB groups over the previous yr regardless of a historical past of success within the majors. The Cubs are his fourth group since Opening Day 2023. Lovelady has been picked up by the Braves in a small commerce, claimed off waivers by the A’s, and shortly chosen to the large leagues with the Cubs.
In components of six Triple-A seasons, Lovelady has a 2.95 ERA with a pointy strikeout, stroll and ground-ball charges of 26.6%, 6.8% and 50.7%, respectively. He’s not an influence arm, however he has added greater than a mile per hour to each his four-seamer and sinker since final yr’s exhibiting with Oakland. He sat at 91 mph with each pitches final yr however averaged 92.8 mph on the four-seam and 92.5 mph on his two-seam throughout his temporary exhibiting with Chicago.
Lovelady does have a minor league choice remaining, so any membership that picks him up by way of commerce or waiver declare may ship him to Triple-A with out first passing him via waivers themselves. He’ll be traded, claimed off waivers or assigned outright to Triple-A Iowa inside the subsequent week (if he clears waivers). He’s been outrighted beforehand in his profession, so Lovelady would have the fitting to reject a minor league project from the Cubs if he does go unclaimed.