The Chicago Cubs are about to start a 10-day stretch in which they will play the Milwaukee Brewers seven times, likely deciding if they can win the division or not.
Before the four-game series at Wrigley Field started on Monday, the Cubs released left-handed pitcher Hoby Milner. Milner was placed on the injured list with appendicitis on June 27 and had not pitched in a game since June 25.
The Cubs sent him on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa on July 29. In 10 games in Triple-A, he had a 2.53 ERA and was pitching well. However, the team designated him for assignment at the conclusion of his rehab assignment, and he cleared waivers.
He is free to sign with any team, but considering some of the Cubs' pitching woes, releasing him was an odd choice. He has a 3.53 ERA in the big leagues this year, and the team signed him as a free agent just last winter. He is a solid arm and should be able to find a new team fairly easily.
Milner had a 3.84 ERA with the Texas Rangers last year, pitching in 73 games. His strikeouts were significantly down this year, but he was still playing well enough to stay on the roster. Milner's best season came with the Brewers in 2023. He posted a 1.82 ERA in 73 outings that season.
