CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today selected infielder Alfonso Rivas and right-handed pitcher Scott Effross from Triple-A Iowa. Additionally, David Bote was placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive August 26) with a sprained right ankle. To make room on the 40-man roster for Rivas and Effross, right-handed pitchers Ryan Meisinger and Jake Jewell were designated for assignment.
Both Rivas (No. 67) and Effross (No. 57) are looking to make their major league debuts and are available for tonight’s 6:10 p.m. CT game against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Rivas, 24, is hitting .284 (56-for-197) with 13 doubles, four home runs, 32 RBI, 35 walks and a .405 on-base percentage in 58 games for Iowa this season. He owns a .298 average (45-for-151) against right-handed pitching and a .311 average (14-for-45) with runners in scoring position. Rivas has played predominantly at first base (46 games), but has also seen time in left field (nine games) and right field (one game).
A non-roster invitee to major league Spring Training for the Cubs this year, Rivas was acquired from Oakland for infielder Tony Kemp on January 13, 2020. Originally selected by the Athletics in the fourth round of the 2018 draft out of the University of Arizona, Rivas in three minor league seasons has batted .288 (252-for-874) with 55 doubles, five triples, 14 home runs, 120 RBI and an .804 OPS thanks in part to a .393 on-base percentage.
In 2019, the left-handed hitting Rivas was named a California League midseason All-Star and went on to bat .283 (122-for-431) with 60 runs, 24 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, 55 RBI and 66 walks.
Effross, 27, is 7-2 with a 3.41 ERA (23 ER/60.2 IP) and two saves in 31 appearances (two starts) between Double-A Tennessee and Iowa, recording a 0.97 WHIP and 66 strikeouts compared to 15 walks. The six-foot two-inch Effross in his last 17 outings with Iowa dating to June 23 has posted a 1.37 ERA (4 ER/26.1 IP) with a .140 opponent batting average and a .227 opponent on-base percentage.
Selected by Chicago in the 15th round of the 2015 draft out of Indiana University, Effross has posted a 23-13 record with 16 saves and a 3.91 ERA (148 ER/340.1 IP) in 198 minor league games, all but five as a reliever. He has walked 92, struck out 309 and averaged 8.2 strikeouts per 9.0 innings while posting a 1.28 WHIP.
Bote, 28, is hitting .202 (49-for-242) with nine doubles, eight home runs and 32 RBI in 78 games for Chicago this season.
Meisinger, 27, has no record and a 12.27 ERA (10 ER/7.1 IP) with five walks and six strikeouts in seven outings for the Cubs this season.
Jewell, 28, is 0-2 with a 9.90 ERA (11 ER/10.0 IP) in 10 outings for Chicago this season, with five walks and 10 strikeouts.
