The Cubs officially signed 18-year-old Cuban right-hander Lázaro Ronald Mena. The reported signing bonus was $350,000.
One of the Cubs top pitching prospects, right-hander Brandon Birdsell, is undergoing season-ending elbow surgery.
We won’t know what kind of surgery until they’re done, but obviously if they end up doing Tommy John surgery, Birdsell is likely done for most or all of next year as well.Right-hander Connor Schultz was promoted from High-A South Bend to Double-A Knoxville.
Right-hander
Dawson Netz is promoted from Low-A Myrtle Beach to South Bend.
Right-handers David Bracho and Noah Edders join Myrtle Beach from Mesa.
Pelicans shortstop Angel Cepeda was named Carolina League Player of the Week.
For the first time since 2019, a Cubs team is on the West Coast. Err, the Pacific Time Zone at least.
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs were shot down by the Las Vegas Aviators (Athletics), 10-0.
Starter Antonio Santos and reliever Tom Cosgrove combined to allow seven runs in the fourth inning, and that was pretty much the end of the game there. Santos took the loss with a final line of five runs on four hits over 3.2 innings. Santos walked three, hit two batters and struck out three.
Nicky Lopez was 2 for 4. Iowa had six hits tonight.
Knoxville Smokies
The Knoxville Smokies defenestrated the Birmingham Barons (White Sox), 6-2.
Starter Tommy Romero took home the win after giving up two runs on four hits over five innings. Romero struck out five and walked one.
First baseman Pablo Aliendo cranked a three-run home run in the second inning, his tenth on the season. Aliendo went 1 for 3.
DH Andy Garriola added to the Smokies lead with a two-run home run in the fourth. It was Garriola’s first Double-A home run and ninth overall. Garriola went 3 for 4 with a double and the home run.
Shortstop Jefferson Rojas went 2 for 5 with a steal. He scored one run.
South Bend Cubs
The South Bend Cubs got pink-slipped by the Peoria Chiefs (Cardinals), 12-1.
Dawson Netz took the loss in his High-A debut, allowing three runs, two earned, on eight hits over five innings. Netz struck out six and walked no one.
South Bend’s only run came on a seventh-inning home run by second baseman Alexis Hernandez. It was his second home run of the year and first with South Bend. Hernandez went 1 for 2 with two walks.
His brother Cristian Hernandez went 1 for 2 with two walks and two steals.
Here’s Alexis’ home run.
Beloit also lost, so South Bend stayed in a tie for first place in the second-half.
Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were sawed off by the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Astros), 1-0.
Alfredo Romero allowed just three hits over five innings, but one of them was a home run in the fifth inning. Romero struck out six and walked two.
Landon Ginn did not allow a run or a hit over the other three innings. He struck out five and walked just one.
The Pelicans had just four hits, all singles. Second baseman Ty Southisene was 2 for 4.
Hickory lost, so the Pelicans magic number to clinch a division title falls to three with 11 games to play.
