CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today placed right-handed pitcher Alec Mills on the 15-day injured list with a low back strain and recalled right-handed pitcher Michael Rucker from Triple-A Iowa.
Rucker, 28, begins his third stint with the Cubs this season and has gone 0-1 with a 5.49 ERA (12 ER/19.2 IP) in 12 relief appearances. The righthander has walked eight and struck out 21, good for an average of 9.61 strikeouts per 9.0 innings. Twice this season he has tossed a career-high 3.0 innings, May 8 vs. the Dodgers and June 11 at the Yankees. In seven appearances out of the bullpen with Iowa in 2022, Rucker is 1-0 with a 0.87 ERA (1 ER/10.1 IP).
Selected by Chicago in the 11th round of the 2016 draft out of Brigham Young University, Rucker made his major league debut with the Cubs last season and is 0-1 with a save and a 6.38 ERA (34 ER/48.0 IP) in 32 career relief appearances. Rucker is 21-14 with three saves and a 3.36 ERA (142 ER/380.2 IP) in 122 career minor league games (42 starts).
Mills, 30, is 0-1 with a 9.68 ERA (19 ER/17.2 IP) in seven games (two starts) for the Cubs this season. He began the season on the 10-day injured list with a low back strain and was transferred to the 60-day injured list, May 19 with a right quadriceps strain. He was activated from the injured list June 7.
