CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs called up four players from their minor league system on Tuesday.
RHP Justin Grimm, LHP Brooks Raley and catcher J.C. Boscan were recalled from Class AAA Iowa. LHP Zach Rosscup was selected from Iowa and added to the 40-man roster.
OF Dave Sappelt was designated for assignment.
Grimm was a starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers earlier in the season. He came to the Cubs in the July 22 trade that sent Matt Garza to Texas. Grimm was 7-7 with a 6.37 ERA with the Rangers.
Cubs manager Dale Sveum has no immediate plans to start Grimm this month.
“It will be nice to have three lefties in the bullpen,” said Sveum, who has had just James Russell as his sole left-handed reliever for three months. “We have seen Railey, so it will be nice to see Rosscup, and Grimm, in action.”
All three call-up pitchers will be in the bullpen, according to Sveum.
Boscan will back up Welington Castillo and Dioner Navarro.
Sappelt was acquired from the Cincinnati Reds with LHP Travis Wood for LHP Sean Marshall in December 2011.
Meanwhile, the Cubs are unsure as to how they will use Scott Baker, who has been recovering from a strained forearm he incurred in spring training. Baker threw 80 pitches on Monday evening for Class A Kane County.
“I feel pretty good,” Baker said. “As normal as I can for sure. No one has told me either way as to how I will be used. I understand there are guys who have come over in trades. There are a lot of guys here with a limited amount of innings to throw. I get it. I get why they would say that.
“Of course, I do want to start, whether it is here or there [minors] or anywhere,” he said. “That is what I have always done. I really haven’t had a lot of experience doing anything else, and I enjoy starting.”
Baker signed a one-year free-agent deal with Chicago in November 2012. He has not pitched in a major league game since April 2012, when a torn elbow ligament led to Tommy John surgery.
