NEW YORK – The Chicago Cubs today selected right-handed pitcher Robert Stock from Triple-A Iowa, transferred catcher P.J. Higgins to the 60-day injured list and optioned right-handed pitcher Trevor Megill to Iowa. Additionally, the Cubs placed right-handed pitcher Dillon Maples on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to June 15) with a right triceps strain and recalled right-handed pitcher Cory Abbott from Iowa.
Stock will wear uniform number 89 and will start tonight’s 6:10 p.m. CT game against the New York Mets at Citi Field.
Stock, 31 has appeared in nine games (two starts) for Triple-A Iowa this season, going 0-3 with a 4.12 ERA (9 ER/19.2 IP). He made seven relief appearances for Iowa in May, before starting two games in June. The right-hander went 0-2 with a 4.63 ERA (6 ER/11.2 IP) in the seven relief outings and pitched to an 0-1 record with a 3.38 ERA (3 ER/8.0 IP) in his two starts.
The six-foot one-inch Stock was claimed off waivers by the Cubs from Boston on December 2, 2020. Stock joined the Red Sox after being claimed off waivers from Philadelphia on July 27, 2020 and pitched the entire 2020 season with Boston, going 0-1 with a 4.73 ERA (7 ER/13.1 IP). Originally selected as a catcher by the St. Louis Cardinals in the second round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Southern California, Stock converted to a pitcher prior to the 2012 season. The right-hander is 2-2 with a 4.24 ERA (30 ER/63.2 IP) in 52 career major league relief outings and is 22-14 with a 3.76 ERA (145 ER/346.2 IP) in 226 career minor league appearances (nine starts).
Abbott, 25, made his major league debut with Chicago earlier this month, pitching to a 2.70 ERA (1 ER/3.1 IP) in two relief outings, walking one and striking out two. He pitched 2.0 scoreless innings in his major league debut, June 5 in San Francisco, after he was recalled from Iowa that day. With the I-Cubs this season, Abbott is 1-3 with a 6.03 ERA (21 ER/31.1 IP) with 15 walks and 49 strikeouts in six starts.
Abbott, the 2019 Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Year, was selected by Chicago in the second round of the 2017 draft out of Loyola Marymount University and is 17-17 with a 3.17 ERA (108 ER/307.0 IP) in 59 career minor league starts. He has recorded a 1.18 WHIP and averaged 10.7 strikeouts per 9.0 innings, striking out 364 batters with 109 walks.
Maples, 29, owns a 1.99 ERA (5 ER/22.2 IP) in 18 relief appearances for Chicago this season, striking out 32 batters for an average of 12.7 strikeouts per 9.0 innings while walking 14.
Megill, 27, has tossed 3.0 scoreless innings in four relief appearances for the Cubs this season, allowing three walks while striking out two.
Higgins, 28, is batting .043 (1-for-23) in nine games (five starts) for the Cubs this season. The right-handed hitting catcher was placed on the 10-day injured list on June 11 (retroactive to June 10) with a strained right forearm.
