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Cubs swap Castillo to Mariners for reliever Medina

The Cubs got their major-league roster back to some semblance of workability Tuesday.

They tipped the media on Sunday that roster moves would be coming before Tuesday night's series opener in San Diego. However, they threw one unexpected curveball.

The sun had barely risen on the West Coast on Tuesday morning when the Cubs traded veteran catcher Welington Castillo to the Seattle Mariners for right-handed reliever Yoervis Medina, whom they sent to Class AAA Iowa.

Castillo, the opening-day catcher in 2013 and 2014, became expendable this past off-season after the Cubs acquired Miguel Montero and David Ross.

But by carrying three catchers, manager Joe Maddon's bench was severely limited, especially this past weekend, when the Cubs had 14 pitchers on their staff.

Castillo, who hit 13 homers last year, batted .163 with 2 homers in 24 games (8 starts) this year.

The Cubs also recalled outfielder Junior Lake from Iowa and selected the contract of first baseman-outfielder Mike Baxter from Iowa. They activated left-handed pitcher Tsuyoshi Wada off the disabled list to start Wednesday night.

Left-handed reliever Phil Coke was designated for assignment and right-handed reliever Brian Schlitter was optioned back to Iowa after coming up for two games over the weekend.

Lake was up from late April until early May. The Cubs can use him as a right-handed platoon partner in left field with Chris Coghlan, who entered Tuesday batting .194.

Baxter, a left-handed batter, is a 30-year-old veteran with 198 games of major-league experience with the Dodgers and Mets. He went to spring training with the Cubs as a nonroster player. He can play first base and the outfield corners.

The Cubs had hoped to activate infielder Tommy La Stella off the DL, but he reinjured his side Sunday while playing in a rehab game for Class AA Tennessee.

Wada has come up to take the rotation spot of left-hander Travis Wood, who was moved to the bullpen over the weekend after struggling as a starter. Wood earned his first career save Saturday as an emergency closer, pressed into that role because the Cubs' bullpen was overtaxed.

After opening last year at Iowa, Wada came up to the Cubs on July 23 and went 4-4 in 13 starts. He suffered what the Cubs said was a mild strain of his left groin late in spring training. He went 1-3 with a 2.86 ERA in 6 rehab starts at Iowa.

In Medina, the Cubs are getting a 26-year-old reliever with 141 games of major-league experience from 2013-15. In 12 games for the Mariners this season, he went 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA and 1 save.

The Cubs acquired relief pitcher Yoervis Medina from the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday in exchange for catcher Welington Castillo.
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