The Chicago Cubs opening-day roster is set.
Three nonroster invitees earned a spot out of camp as the Cubs added outfielders Michael Conforto and Dylan Carlson and infielder Scott Kingery to their 40-man roster ahead of Thursday’s opener at Wrigley Field, where left-hander Matthew Boyd gets the ball against the Washington Nationals.
In corresponding moves, the Cubs designated right-hander Jack Neely for assignment and placed outfielder Seiya Suzuki (right PCL sprain) on the 10-day injured list; right-hander Porter Hodge (right elbow strain) and left-hander Jordan Wicks (left forearm inflammation) on the 15-day IL; and left-hander Justin Steele on the 60-day IL as he continues to rehab from elbow surgery. The IL transactions are backdated to Sunday.
Steele’s timeline to return to the rotation doesn’t dramatically change by going on the 60-day IL. He will be eligible to return May 24, which was around when the Cubs expected him to be built up and ready for big-league action. Steele had progressed to throwing live batting practice by the end of camp. If he continues to trend well, the next step would be pitching in minor-league games.
The Cubs front office kept an eye on other transactions around the league to see who became available but ultimately opted to add Carlson and Kingery after telling Conforto last week he would be on the team. Kingery gives manager Craig Counsell another versatile infielder and allows him to use Matt Shaw in right field or at designated hitter as needed.
Here’s the opening-day roster:
- Starters (5): Matthew Boyd, Edward Cabrera, Cade Horton, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon
- Relievers (8): Ben Brown, Hunter Harvey, Phil Maton, Hoby Milner, Daniel Palencia, Colin Rea, Caleb Thielbar, Jacob Webb
- Catchers (3): Miguel Amaya, Moisés Ballesteros, Carson Kelly
- Infielders (6): Alex Bregman, Michael Busch, Nico Hoerner, Scott Kingery, Matt Shaw, Dansby Swanson
- Outfielders (4): Dylan Carlson, Michael Conforto, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ian Happ
