Cubs roster move: Ethan Roberts activated from IL, Gavin Hollowell optioned

Cubs right-hander Ethan Roberts went on the injured list a couple of weeks ago with a nominee for “Weird Injury of the Year”:

Roberts said he was on his ninth rep in a 10-throw workout involving a medicine ball, which is part of his daily routine. Without space to do the drill in the weight room, he moved to a tunnel at Citizens Bank Park. On the ill-fated throw, the medicine ball rebounded off one wall and hit a vent cover on another, dislodging it.

The vent was about to strike Roberts’ leg, so the pitcher reached back out of pure reaction. The cut is on the underside of the pitcher’s fingertip, which impacts his ability to throw. He did not require stitches, but he needs to let the wound heal before he can ramp up his throwing intensity.

“Just random bad luck,” Counsell said. “You can’t even make it up.”

Roberts had pitched well this year, allowing no runs in 2.2 innings over three MLB appearances, with just one of the 10 batters he faced reaching base. The Cubs could use some of that in their pen with all the other injuries. He last pitched for Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday, throwing 28 pitches in a scoreless inning.

Roberts was activated from the injured list Friday. To make room for him on the 26-man active roster, right-hander Gavin Hollowell was optioned to Iowa. Hollowell was recalled Thursday and threw 49 pitches in an outing that stretched nearly two innings. He threw reasonably well in the first of those innings, then ran out of gas (and might have had a better outing if the Cubs had not run out of ABS challenges).

The Cubs continue to play roster Jenga with the bullpen until injured relievers Caleb Thielbar and Hunter Harvey are ready to return.