Squad changes at the Cubs: Steele and Lopez come, Neely and Palencia go

Since he's playing for the Chicago Cubs this afternoon, we knew that Justin Steele (elbow) would be activated from the injured list today.

But he's not alone, as reliever Jorge Lopez, who was rehabbing in Iowa, has also been activated from the injured list (groin). To make room, Jack Neely and Daniel Palencia were sent to Iowa. Both pitched last night – Palencia exceptionally well – but I suppose the Cubs are still trying to optimize everything to the last possible degree. The minimum assignment time for pitchers is 15 days, so neither Neely nor Palencia will play in the major leagues again this season unless there is an injury on the team. They will, however, compete for a spot in the bullpen next spring.

Steele's return has been discussed here, but Lopez's return is a slight surprise considering how poorly he performed in an appearance at Iowa earlier this week (a truly disastrous performance). It would certainly be nice if Lopez, who has been brilliant for the Cubs since they signed him after he was released by the Mets, could finish the season with a few strong performances. It's still entirely up in the air what happens to him this offseason when he hits free agency, but if he finishes the season well, some teams might feel he really figured something out in his time with the Cubs.

Hayden Wesneski, who is now also back on the team, is reportedly expected to be activated in the next few days.