The Chicago Cubs made a few moves Sunday, as Kris Bryant and Brian Duensing were sent out on a rehab assignment with the Tennessee Smokies. The other big news was that the team placed right-handed relief pitcher Anthony Bass on the 10-day disabled list with an illness.
It's a bit of a hit to the bullpen, as Bass has been surprisingly great since joining the Cubs on June 11. He's only allowed one earned run in 14.1 innings (0.63 ERA) striking out 14 and walking one. Hopefully he gets better and he'll have the all-star break to recover if he still needs the extra time. Replacing him in the bullpen is 24-year-old James Norwood. He was picked in the seventh round by the Cubs in the 2014 MLB Draft out of Saint Louis. Norwood has a 3.84 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 201.2 innings down in the minors. His 2017 season was a roller coaster, as he pitched well at Myrtle Beach, recording a 2.31 ERA in 27 games before he was promoted to Double-A. That's where he struggled, posting a 5.30 ERA in 14 games. However, Norwood seemingly put the struggles behind him because to start the 2018 season, the righty was great again with a 2.48 ERA in 25 relief appearances. Two weeks ago, the Cubs promoted Norwood to Triple-A and he continued his success in Iowa. In 5.1 innings with the Iowa Cubs, Norwood struck out eight, walked one, allowed three hits and no runs in four appearances. Norwood pitched in one game this past spring training with the Cubs.
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