Back in February, the Chicago Cubs signed veteran Chris Flexen to a minor league deal. The 31 year old was added to the 40-man roster at the end of April, tossed 21.2 scoreless innings upon being promoted, and until recently had been a reliable multi-inning relief option in the bullpen.
Chris Flexen had a rough five game stretch
After the impressive scoreless innings streak to begin the year, Flexen kept positive momentum going and entered the month of July with a 0.64 ERA. From then to now, his ERA rose to 3.09, thanks to a stretch of games where he gave up earned runs in five consecutive contests.
On July 5, he gave up one earned run over 3.2 innings pitched, July 11 three earned runs over 4.0 innings pitched, July 22 five earned runs over 3.0 innings pitched, and on both July 25 and July 28, two earned runs over 2.0 innings pitched.
The Chicago Cubs have DFA’d Chris Flexen
After giving up two earned runs to the Milwaukee Brewers on July 28, the Cubs DFA’d Flexen from their 40-man roster and recalled Gavin Hollowell. With Chicago seeking pitching ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, this decision likely signals the end of Flexen’s run with the Cubs.
Flexen, who began as a low-risk signing and turned into a temporarily valuable bullpen piece for the Cubs, ultimately made a positive contribution to Chicago. While his success diminished over time, his early-season effectiveness provided crucial innings and helped provide stability to what has been a good Cubs bullpen.
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