The Cubs transferred Little (lat) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Monday.
The move frees up a spot for Julian Merryweather's (ribs) return from the 60-day IL. Over the weekend, manager Craig Counsell said Little would likely miss the rest of the season due to a left lat strain.
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Cubs' Luke Little: Unlikely to return in 2024
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Manager Craig Counsell said Saturday that Little (lat) is likely out for the rest of the season, Mike McGraw of the Chicago Daily Herald reports.
Little landed on the injured list last Saturday due to what was labeled a left shoulder strain, though the results of his MRI on Friday confirmed the strain is in his left lat. It doesn't seem that he'll require surgery, but the Cubs will still keep the southpaw shut down for now. Should he miss the rest of the season, he'll finish with a 3.46 ERA and 1.27 WHIP alongside a 28:18 K:BB across 26 innings.
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Cubs' Luke Little: Undergoing MRI on shoulder
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Little will undergo an MRI on his injured left shoulder Friday, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.
Little landed on the 15-day injured list just before the All-Star break and will now go through imaging to assess the severity of the issue. The left-handed reliever has put up a 3.46 ERA and 28:18 K:BB over 26 innings out of the Cubs' bullpen in 2024.
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Cubs' Luke Little: Placed on injured list
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The Cubs placed Little on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a left shoulder strain, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.
Little had to leave his appearance Friday after just four pitches due to reported soreness in his shoulder, and imaging revealed a strain that will cause him to land on the IL. Ethan Roberts was recalled from Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move in order to replenish Chicago's bullpen depth.
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Cubs' Luke Little: Records win Saturday
Rotowire
Little (3-1) tossed a scoreless inning of relief to earn the win in Saturday's 5-3 victory over the Brewers. He allowed two hits and struck out one.
Little retired the first two batters of the seventh inning, then made things interesting by allowing consecutive hits. However, he escaped the frame when Andruw Monasterio was caught attempting to steal home. The lefty then earned the win when the Cubs scored two in the top of the eighth to break open a 3-3 tie. Little has been back and forth between Triple-A and the majors, though he's been fairly effective when called on by Chicago, posting a 3.80 ERA and 26 strikeouts across 23.2 innings.
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Cubs' Luke Little: Back in big leagues
Rotowire
Little was called up from Triple-A Iowa on Sunday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Little will return to the major-league bullpen just one day after being sent to Iowa, replacing Mark Leiter (forearm) on the 26-man roster. Little has compiled a 2.31 ERA and 1.03 WHIP with 12 strikeouts over 11.2 innings in 13 appearances with the Cubs since May 15.
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Cubs' Luke Little: Optioned to Triple-A
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The Cubs optioned Little to Triple-A Iowa on Saturday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.
After being recalled from the minors May 15, Little logged a 2.31 ERA and 1.03 WHIP while striking out 12 batters and walking 10 across 11.2 innings. Despite the southpaw's overall success, he'll be sent back to Iowa in order to clear room for Keegan Thompson, who returned from the paternity list Saturday.
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Cubs' Luke Little: Earns first MLB win
Rotowire
Little (1-0) tossed a scoreless 10th inning out of the bullpen to pick up the win in Tuesday's 4-3 victory over Atlanta.
Little was the sixth Chicago pitcher to enter the contest, and the lefty was effective despite starting his frame with a runner on second. This was the 23-year-old's first win in the majors in his 21st career appearance. Little is still a fairly low-leverage reliever at this point, which leaves him with limited fantasy appeal.
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Cubs' Luke Little: Back with big club
Rotowire
The Cubs recalled Little from Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Little was just returned to Iowa on Monday after serving as the team's 27th man during Sunday's doubleheader against the Marlins, but he's been rerouted back to the big-league bullpen. He'll give manager Craig Counsell another lefty option in relief.
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Cubs' Luke Little: Heads back to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Cubs returned Little to Triple-A Iowa on Sunday.
As expected, Little's stay with the Cubs lasted just one day, as he had been designated as the club's 27th man for Saturday's doubleheader with the Marlins. He appeared out of the bullpen in the Cubs' 3-2 loss in Game 1 of the twin bill, striking out one while allowing one hit and one walk in a scoreless inning.
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Cubs' Luke Little: Opening Wednesday's game
Rotowire
Little will serve as the Cubs' opening pitcher in Wednesday's game against the Rockies, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.
Little pitched the ninth inning of Tuesday's 12-2 win over Colorado, so it's unlikely his start lasts more than an inning. Once the 23-year-old lefty is pulled, Ben Brown is a likely candidate to work in bulk relief.
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Cubs' Luke Little: Secures bullpen spot
Rotowire
The Cubs informed Little on Monday that he'll be included on the Opening Day roster, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Little claimed one of the final spots in the team's Opening Day bullpen after he permitted three earned runs on six hits and four walks while striking out nine over 8.1 innings during Cactus League play. The 23-year-old lefty made plenty of bats miss between the Double-A and Triple-A level (84 strikeouts in 46.1 innings) and as a September call-up (12 in 6.2 innings) last season, making him a name worth monitoring if Adbert Alzolay is unable to lock down the closer's gig or otherwise misses time at some point. At least to begin the season, Little's usage could be limited to lower-leverage spots.
