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Triple-A Lehigh Valley released Maples from his minor-league contract Friday. Maples, who made MLB relief appearances with the Cubs in each of the past five seasons, joined the Phillies on a minor-league deal in March. He ultimately didn't make enough of an impression to earn a call-up to Philadelphia, as he was dropped by the Triple-A club after submitting a 6.28 ERA and 2.20 WHIP while walking 22 batters across 14.1 innings out of the bullpen. Lehigh Valley opted to replace Maples on its roster with another reliever with previous MLB experience in Jace Fry, who signed with the organization after being released by the Nationals a few days earlier.
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Maples was reassigned to minor-league camp Monday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports. Maples struggled as a non-roster invitee this spring, as he allowed five runs on three hits and three walks while striking out five in 2.2 innings. Although his strikeout rate remained high, he'll need to work on his command and ability to limit runs at Triple-A Lehigh Valley early in the 2022 campaign.
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Maples signed with the Phillies as a non-roster invitee Tuesday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports. The 29-year-old is great at missing bats, posting a 30.6 percent strikeout rate in 54.2 career major-league innings. Unfortunately, it seems as though neither he nor his opponents know where his pitches will end up, as he's also walked batters at a 19.4 percent clip, leading to a poor 5.10 ERA. If he ever sorts out his control issues, he could be a real weapon out of the bullpen, but it's highly unlikely that he'll suddenly correct such a significant issue in his 11th professional season.
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Maples cleared waivers Tuesday and was outrighted to Triple-A Iowa, Russell Dorsey of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Maples owns a 2.59 ERA in 31.1 innings this season, but his 18.0 percent walk rate evidently scared off any potential suitors. He'll remain in an organizational depth role for the Cubs.
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The Cubs designated Maples for assignment Sunday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports. Maples has managed a 2.59 ERA and been one of Chicago's better relievers in spite of an alarming 40:25 K:BB. The reason for his demotion is unclear, but his numbers are attractive enough that he could draw interest on waivers.
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Stats
| Year | Team | APP | GS | INN | W | L | S | K | BBI | HA | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | CHC | 28 | 0 | 31.3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 25 | 15 | 2.58 | 1.27 |
Next Matchup
| Situation | Record | ERA | INN | ER | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vs CHI. CUBS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| @ CITIZENS BANK PARK | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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