Player News
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Sampson signed a minor-league contract with the Rangers on Tuesday that includes an invitation to spring training. Sampson managed a 3.11 ERA over 21 outings (19 starts) with the Cubs in 2022 but made just nine minor-league appearances in 2023 while missing time following knee surgery. He's healthy now and will compete for a swingman job with the Rangers, but the 32-year-old's most likely destination to start 2024 is Triple-A Round Rock.
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The Rays released Sampson on Aug. 4. In a minor deal hours before the Aug. 1 trade deadline, the Rays acquired Sampson from the Cubs as part of a three-player deal, but the veteran right-hander never reported to Tampa Bay's top affiliate in Durham before being handed his walking papers. Sampson made 19 starts for the Cubs in 2022 but had pitched exclusively in the minors in 2023 while missing extensive time due to injury. He had compiled a 10.17 ERA and 1.96 WHIP over 23 innings at Triple-A Iowa prior to being traded to the Rays.
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The Cubs traded Sampson and Manuel Rodriguez to the Rays on Tuesday in exchange for Josh Roberson, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports. Sampson has not pitched in the majors this season, primarily because of a right knee injury that required a cleanup procedure in May, but he registered a 3.11 ERA over 19 starts and two relief appearances for the Cubs during the 2022 campaign. The 31-year-old is healthy now and will presumably report to the Triple-A affiliate of the Rays in Durham.
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The Cubs reinstated Sampson (knee) from the 60-day injured list Monday and outrighted him to Triple-A Iowa, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports. After making 19 starts for the Cubs in 2022, Sampson hasn't pitched for the big club this season after being optioned to Iowa coming out of spring training and then getting shut down with a right meniscus injury in early April following two starts with the Triple-A squad. He was cleared to start up a rehab assignment June 24 and eventually reported back to Iowa on July 4, with the right-hander having produced a 9.00 ERA and 1.33 WHIP with 11 strikeouts over 12 innings in his four starts since returning to Triple-A. Though he no longer possesses a spot on the 40-man roster, Sampson should continue to fill a rotation spot at Iowa and could get a late-season call-up to the Cubs if injuries test the organization's pitching depth in the majors.
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Sampson (knee) completed his third rehab start at Triple-A Iowa on Saturday, tossing three innings and striking out two while allowing three earned runs on three hits and one walk. Sampson began his rehab program in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League on June 24 and has now made five appearances in total during the minor-league assignment, pitching to an 8.56 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 13.2 innings. Since the Cubs don't appear to have a spot in the rotation available for Sampson, he'll likely remain on the farm for close to the full 30 days of the rehab assignment before being activated from the 60-day injured list. Sampson has three minor-league options remaining, so he could be optioned to Iowa once he's reinstated in order to continue making starts with the hope that a spot in the big-league rotation reopens at some point.
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Stats
| Year | Team | APP | GS | INN | W | L | S | K | BBI | HA | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | CHC | 21 | 19 | 104.3 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 73 | 27 | 101 | 3.10 | 1.22 |
Last 7 Games
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