Player News
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The Cubs activated Lopez (groin) from the 15-day injured list Wednesday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Lopez spent the minimum 15 days on the IL with a strained right groin. The veteran reliever had been in the closer mix before getting hurt and should regain a high-leverage role, although Porter Hodge still looks like the better bet for saves in the Cubs' bullpen.
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Lopez (groin) has rejoined the team and is expected to be activated from the 15-day injured list within the next few days, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports. Lopez will be eligible to be activated beginning Wednesday, so it appears he'll miss only the minimum after suffering a right groin strain. The right-hander put together a stellar month of August (0.87 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 17 strikeouts and two saves over 10.1 innings) before getting rocked for four runs on four hits in his lone September outing prior to landing on the IL. Lopez should be in the mix for save chances upon his return along with Porter Hodge, who blew a save Saturday against the Rockies.
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Lopez (2-3) allowed four runs on four hits across an inning of relief to take the loss Monday against the Pirates. He struck out two. After starter Jameson Taillon cruised through seven innings to stake Chicago to a 3-0 lead, Lopez let things slip away in the eighth. The veteran righty allowed two home runs, including a three-run shot by Bryan Reynolds, to get charged with his first blown save of the season and third loss. Lopez has still been effective overall with a 3.00 ERA across 51 innings this year, but after struggling mightily in 2023, it's fair to wonder if the 31-year-old is due for some regression down the stretch. Lopez's poor outing Monday should also strengthen Porter Hodge's grip on the closer role, at least for now.
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Lopez (groin) tossed a scoreless inning of relief to earn a hold in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Nationals. He allowed one walk and struck out one. Lopez, who missed eight days due to a groin injury, looked good in his return to the mound. The righty has a stellar 2.34 ERA overall this season and has been even better since making his Chicago debut in late June. Across 23.2 innings with the Cubs, Lopez has turned in a 0.76 ERA and has struck out 26 batters. Porter Hodge earned the save Saturday and is likely first in line to close games moving forward, though Lopez figures to be in the mix as well now that he's healthy.
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Lopez (groin) didn't experience any setbacks following his bullpen session Friday, Kyle Williams of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Lopez has been dealing with a groin injury, and his last outing came against the Marlins on Aug. 23, when he struck out two batters in one scoreless inning. The 31-year-old reliever could pitch during this weekend's series against the Nationals. In 20 games since joining the Cubs in mid-June, Lopez has recorded two saves and two holds with a 0.79 ERA and 1.37 WHIP across 22.2 innings.
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Stats
| Year | Team | APP | GS | INN | W | L | S | K | BBI | HA | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | CHC | 51 | 0 | 52.0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 49 | 19 | 46 | 2.94 | 1.25 |
| 2023 | MIN-MIA-BAL | 61 | 0 | 59.0 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 49 | 22 | 67 | 5.94 | 1.50 |
| 2022 | BAL-MIN | 67 | 0 | 71.0 | 4 | 7 | 23 | 72 | 31 | 53 | 2.53 | 1.18 |
Next Matchup
| Situation | Record | ERA | INN | ER | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vs WASHINGTON | 0 | 0.00 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 |
| @ WRIGLEY FIELD | 0 | 4.82 | 11.2 | 6 | 17 |
Last 7 Games
| DATE | Opp | W | L | S | INN | HA | ERA | BBI | K | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/18 | vs  |
- | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 6.43 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 |
| 9/02 | vs  |
- | 1 | - | 1.0 | 4 | 7.50 | 0 | 2 | 4.00 |
| 8/31 | @  |
- | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 1.80 | 1 | 1 | 1.00 |
| 8/23 | @  |
- | - | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 2.25 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 |
| 8/17 | vs  |
- | - | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 3.00 | 0 | 3 | 1.00 |
| 8/16 | vs |
- | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 |
| 8/13 | @  |
- | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 |
Upcoming Games
| date | Opp | time | Scheduled Starter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/19 | vs |
7:40 PM | Patrick Corbin |
| 9/20 | vs |
2:20 PM | Not Announced Yet |
| 9/21 | vs |
2:20 PM | MacKenzie Gore |
| 9/22 | vs |
2:20 PM | Jake Irvin |
| 9/23 | @  |
6:40 PM | Aaron Nola |
| 9/24 | @ |
6:40 PM | Taijuan Walker |
| 9/25 | @ |
6:05 PM | Cristopher Sanchez |