The Chicago Cubs optioned right-hander Tyler Ferguson to Triple-A Iowa on Saturday and recalled right-hander Javier Assad to start the middle game of their series against the Miami Marlins.
The corresponding moves were confirmed on the MLB transaction log ahead of Saturday’s contest at loanDepot Park.
Assad had traveled with the club as part of the taxi squad and became eligible to return after spending the required 15 days in the minors following his August 21 option. Manager Craig Counsell tabbed him to start opposite Miami’s Ryan Gusto.
Assad, 29, has been one of Chicago’s most useful swing arms this season. He is 6-1 with a 3.46 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 22 appearances, including 10 starts, covering 83 1/3 innings. He has moved between the rotation and the bullpen as injuries and rest needs have dictated, and he last pitched for Iowa on Aug. 30, throwing 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball.
In five seasons with the Cubs, Assad is 24-13 with a 3.43 ERA in 100 games (64 starts).
Ferguson, 32, is heading back to Des Moines after a brief September look. Recalled from Iowa on Tuesday, he allowed one run in 1 2/3 innings in his only outing of the latest stint.
For the Cubs this year, he is 0-1 with a 3.63 ERA in 17 relief appearances after Chicago acquired him from the Athletics on May 7 for cash considerations. Across three major-league seasons with the A’s and the Cubs, Ferguson is 8-5 with a 4.36 ERA in 122 relief appearances.
The swap is familiar September roster math. The Cubs needed a starter in Miami after Friday’s 6-1 win opened the series, and Assad was already stretched out.
Ferguson, a middle-relief option who has shuttled between Wrigley Field and Iowa all summer, was the corresponding piece. He has been optioned and recalled several times since the May trade, typically filling short-term bullpen gaps.
For Assad, another strong outing could keep him in the rotation as Chicago tries to lock down a National League wild-card spot.
For Ferguson, Iowa remains a short trip back if the bullpen needs another fresh arm. The Cubs have used both pitchers that way all year: Assad as a bridge between starter and long reliever, Ferguson as inexpensive, ground-ball depth.
Saturday’s start is Assad’s 11th of the season and his 23rd appearance overall. If he works deep into the game, Chicago can spare the rest of the bullpen for Sunday and the stretch run that follows.
Ferguson, meanwhile, will rejoin Iowa’s relief corps and wait for the next call. In a year defined by pitching attrition, that shuttle is part of the plan.
