Clayton Richard tossed six innings of one-run ball in a win over the Padres on Sunday, but he was designated for assignment by the Cubs today for the second time in the past two weeks.
While it’s some tough luck for Richard, the Cubs don’t have a spot for him in their starting rotation after acquiring Dan Haren from the Marlins before the trade deadline last Friday. Chicago has been going with a short bench in recent days, so outfielder Matt Szczur was called up from Triple-A Iowa to take his place on the active roster.
Richard, 31, has a 4.29 ERA and 9/5 K/BB ratio in 21 innings over three starts and one relief appearance this season. The southpaw passed through waivers unclaimed after being designated for assignment in July and the Cubs are surely hoping to keep him around as depth once again.