The Chicago Cubs, coming off a 13-7 blowout loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday night and mired at 7-9 after dropping three of four, announced call-ups of left-handed pitchers Luke Little and Ryan Rolison.
The moves come as manager Craig Counsell’s pitching staff has been battered by injuries. Relievers Hunter Harvey (triceps) and Phil Maton (knee) are on the shelf, and recently recalled Charlie Barnes is unavailable after logging three innings of mop-up work, leaving the Cubs’ bullpen badly short-handed heading into Game 2 of their three-game series at Citizens Bank Park.
The Cubs optioned Barnes back to Triple-A, and sent Ethan Roberts to the 15-day injured list with a laceration on his right middle finger.
Luke Little and Ryan Rolison: What Cubs Are Getting
Little is no stranger to Wrigley. Anything but “little,” the 6-foot-8 left-hander was drafted by Chicago in the fourth round of the 2020 MLB Draft out of San Jacinto College in Texas, per MLB.com. He made his big-league debut in September 2023 and cracked Chicago’s Opening Day roster in 2024, posting a 3-1 record and 3.46 ERA in 30 appearances before a left lat strain ended his season. His fastball sits 96-plus mph and has touched triple digits, making him a legitimate swing-and-miss weapon. At Iowa this season, though, he owns a 4.70 ERA and a 1.96 WHIP across 7.2 innings, but 10 walks in that span suggest he is ticketed for mop-up duty, according to an analysis by Zachary Draves of ClutchPoints.
Rolison arrives with a longer and more turbulent history. The 28-year-old lefty was the Colorado Rockies‘ first-round pick, 22nd overall, in the 2018 MLB Draft out of Ole Miss, as Cubs Insider recounted. Injuries wiped out chunks of his minor league career, including an entire season lost to shoulder surgery in 2022. He finally reached the majors with the Rockies in 2025, posting a 7.02 ERA over 42.1 innings in 31 appearances. After a waiver-wire journey through the Braves and White Sox, the Cubs claimed him in January, according to a CBS Sports report. At Iowa this year, his 3.68 ERA is serviceable, but six walks in seven innings hint at the same control issues that have long shadowed him.
Cubs’ Slow Start Sets the Stage for Desperate Measures
The 7-9 record is not what the team that reached the NL Division Series last October had in mind going into the season. The Monday loss to Philadelphia made the situation look even more dire. Former Cub Kyle Schwarber delivered the dagger, launching two home runs and driving in three as the Phillies pummeled the Cubs 13-7.
Schwarber, who spent several seasons at Wrigley Field before departing for Philadelphia, extended his on-base streak to 14 consecutive games with the performance. Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sánchez earned the win by holding the Cubs to two runs over six innings, with Dansby Swanson’s fourth-inning home run providing Chicago’s only real resistance through the game’s middle frames. The Phillies broke the game open with a five-run fifth inning, scoring in six innings in all.
Starter Javier Assad took the loss, surrendering nine earned runs as command deserted him throughout the evening. The Cubs still need corresponding roster moves to make room for Little and Rolison. The Cubs are also dealing with Cade Horton’s season-ending elbow injury, while Justin Steele remains on the injured list rehabbing from last year’s elbow surgery, stripping the rotation of the depth it badly needs. Whether Little and Rolison can provide meaningful relief or amount to mop-up arms, the Cubs need bodies. Right now, these two are it.
Cubs Announce Series of Roster Moves After Blowout Loss to Phillies