Cubs activate Soto from DL, call up Hoffpauir
The Chicago Cubs today activated catcher Geovany Soto from the 15-day disabled list and recalled infielder Micah Hoffpauir from Triple-A Iowa. In corresponding moves, catcher Welington Castillo and outfielder Sam Fuld were optioned to Iowa following yesterday’s game against the Braves at Wrigley Field.
Soto, 27, landed on the 15-day disabled list August 10 (retroactive to August 7) with a sprained ligament in his right shoulder. He leads all major league catchers with a .920 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) this season (minimum 300 plate appearances). Overall, he is batting .288 (76-for-264) with 15 home runs, 45 RBI and a .401 on-base percentage in 88 games this year.
The right-handed hitter batted .315 (23-for-73) with 12 runs, six homers and 20 RBI in 22 July contests, and began August with a .353 mark (6-for-17) with four runs and six RBI in his first five games this month. Against Milwaukee, August 4, Soto drove in a season-high five RBI and scored three times in a 15-3 victory.
Hoffpauir, 30, is batting .282 (120-for-426) with 34 doubles, 22 home runs and 93 RBI at the Triple-A level this season. He recorded a 21-game hitting streak, July 21-August 15, hitting .420 (37-for-88) with 11 doubles, 10 home runs, 28 runs scored and 28 RBI during the run. He was named Pacific Coast League Player of the Week after batting .536 (15-for-28) with four doubles, three homers and 12 RBI in seven games, August 2-8.
A left-handed hitter and fielder, Hoffpauir begins his second stint with the Cubs this month after he was promoted August 10, appearing in three games for Chicago (0-for-7) before he returned to Iowa, August 12.
Hoffpauir has spent parts of the last three seasons with the Cubs and is a career .258 (81-for-314) hitter with 20 doubles, 12 home runs and 43 RBI in 141 major league contests. He made his big league debut in 2008 and batted .342 (25-for-73) in 33 games. Hoffpauir was a member of Chicago’s Opening Day roster in 2009 and hit .239 (56-for-234) with 12 doubles, 10 home runs and 35 RBI in 105 games.
Castillo, 23, was recalled from Iowa August 10 and made his major league debut the following evening in San Francisco, doubling off Barry Zito in his first career big league at-bat. He has spent the majority of the season at Iowa, hitting .251 (57-for-227) with 17 doubles, 13 home runs and 57 RBI in 65 games at the Triple-A level.
Fuld, 28, was recalled from Iowa August 19 and appeared in three games for the Cubs (0-for-2). In 97 games for the I-Cubs this season, he has a .266 batting average (85-for-320) with 58 runs scored, 13 doubles, eight triples and four home runs. His .367 on-base percentage is 101 points higher than his batting average.