The Cubs selected Trent Thornton’s contract from Triple-A Iowa on Monday, a move that came with Charlie Barnes designated for assignment and Matthew Boyd placed on the 15-day injured list.
Thornton’s arrival gives Chicago another arm after a long return from injury. He was activated from Iowa’s 7-day injured list in late April after fully recovering from surgery in August to repair a torn left Achilles tendon.
The right-hander has appeared in four Triple-A games, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out five across 5.2 innings. That limited workload is part of why the Cubs are making the move now, with Thornton added to the 26-man roster as the club sorts through an injury-driven shuffle.
Boyd is slated to undergo surgery to repair a meniscus injury in his left knee, and his absence leaves Chicago short in the rotation. Thornton’s addition points to a possible change behind him, with either Ben Brown or Javier Assad moving from the bullpen to the rotation until Jordan Hicks is activated from the 15-day injured list.
The Cubs do not have much margin to wait. Thornton’s return from an Achilles injury gives them a fresh option, but the larger issue is the one that forced the roster move in the first place: Boyd is out, and the rotation may need to absorb another turn before Hicks comes back.
