CHICAGO (WGN) — The Chicago Cubs are making some roster changes as they try to navigate a rocky start to the season from their bullpen.
The Cubs are demoting once-prized infield prospect Matt Shaw and relief pitcher Nate Pearson to Triple-A and recalling pitchers Luke Little and Daniel Palencia from the Iowa Cubs.
The team also reinstated Vidal Bruján reinstated from 10-day injured list and moved relief pitcher Eli Morgan to the 15-day IL with a right elbow impingement.
Morgan, Pearson and Shaw represent a trio of Cubs players who have struggled early this season, despite the team sitting at 11-8 and in first place in the National League Central.
Shaw, who started the year as the North Siders’ primary third baseman, is hitting .172/.294/.241 in 68 plate appearances across 18 games at the big league level in 2025.
Morgan and Pearson both own double-digit ERAs—Morgan with a 12.27 and Pearson with a 10.38—and have given up more earned runs than they have innings pitched. The Cubs bullpen currently owns a 5.23 ERA, which ranks fifth-worst in Major League Baseball.
Chicago traded for Morgan from the Cleveland Guardians last offseason after he had a career year in 2024. He posted a 1.93 ERA across 42 innings pitched with 34 strikeouts and just 11 walks.
Little and Palencia, members of the Cubs’ 40-man roster, have both performed admirably out of the bullpen in Triple-A so far this year. Little, a left-handed reliever has a 3.86 ERA in four appearances with 4.2 IP. Palencia, a right-handed reliever, has a 2.25 ERA in five appearances with a save, seven strikeouts, and three games finished across 4 IP.
Bruján, who was recovering from a sprained right elbow, has yet to register a plate appearance for the Cubs this season and serves the team in a super-utility role off the bench.