Hultzen announced his retirement Thursday, Barry Svrluga of The Washington Post reports.
Hultzen was part of the Cubs' 60-man player pool in 2020 but never reached the majors during the season. The southpaw was the second overall pick in the 2011 first-year player draft, but several shoulder injuries derailed his career. He made just six relief appearances in the majors during the 2019 season, tossing 3.1 scoreless innings with five strikeouts.
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Cubs' Danny Hultzen: Added to 60-man pool
Rotowire
Hultzen will be a part of the Cubs' 60-man player pool this season.
The lefty is not on the team's 40-man roster but will still get the chance to train at Wrigley Field along with 21 other pitchers. Hultzen is unlikely to make a big impact in 2020, though he does give the Cubs some veteran depth and may have some value against left-handed batters.
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Cubs' Danny Hultzen: Gets reassigned
Rotowire
The Cubs reassigned Hultzen to their minor-league camp Thursday, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2011 first-year player draft overcame a slew of serious injuries to finally make his MLB debut at 29 years old in 2019. Though he turned in 3.1 scoreless innings across his six relief outings with the Cubs, Hultzen's status as a lefty specialist probably hurt his case for a roster spot with the three-batter minimum in place for the 2020 season. Hultzen will presumably open the campaign at Triple-A Iowa.
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Cubs' Danny Hultzen: Back with Chicago
Rotowire
Hultzen agreed to a minor-league contract with the Cubs earlier this month, Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America reports.
After several injury plagued years to begin his career, Hultzen, the second overall pick in the 2011 first-year player draft, finally reached the majors for the first time last season. Over six late-season relief appearances with the Cubs, Hultzen struck out five over 3.1 shutout innings. He'll likely get a crack at competing for a bullpen job in spring training, but his lack of a 40-man roster spot will likely hinder his chances of making the Cubs' Opening Day roster.
Hultzen was non-tendered by the Cubs on Monday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Hultzen appeared in six games for the Cubs last season, all in September. He didn't allow a run over 3.1 innings of work, fanning five and walking two over that stretch. Given his limited big-league experience and past shoulder injuries, he may need to accept a minor-league deal to pitch in 2020.
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Cubs' Danny Hultzen: Set for first career callup
Rotowire
Hultzen will be called up by the Cubs on Saturday, Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register reports.
Hultzen's journey to the big leagues was a lengthy one, as a string of shoulder issues derailed his career for several seasons after he was drafted second overall back in 2011, sandwiched between Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer. Now 29 years old, the lefty is finally ready for his first major-league opportunity after posting a 1.26 ERA and a 39.0 percent strikeout rate in 14.1 innings for Triple-A Iowa. He'll be a bullpen option down the stretch.
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Cubs' Danny Hultzen: Back in action at Triple-A
Rotowire
Hultzen debuted with Triple-A Iowa on June 16 and has struck out three over 1.2 scoreless innings through his first two relief appearances with the affiliate.
The second overall pick in the 2011 first-year player draft, Hultzen was a prized arm in the Seattle organization until a string of shoulder injuries derailed his career. Though he's logged just 28.2 total innings in affiliated ball since 2013, Hultzen said his shoulder finally feels good again, with Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune relaying that the left-hander has regained the mid-90s fastball he displayed during his amateur days at Virginia. Hultzen will still need to find regular success at Triple-A and prove he can bounce back from appearances without any renewed discomfort in his shoulder before any talk of a promotion to the Cubs gains serious traction.
Cubs' Danny Hultzen: Joins Cubs on minor-league deal
Rotowire
Hultzen signed a minor-league contract with the Cubs on Saturday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
Hultzen has not pitched since undergoing shoulder surgery in July of 2016 and has logged only 10 professional innings since the 2013 season. The 2011 second-overall pick has a long road ahead if he is going to make his major-league debut in 2018, and his performance in the Cubs' minor-league spring training should provide a decent idea if that debut is a realistic possibility.
