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Cubs call up Hermosillo; Sampson will start Wednesday

Before Tuesday's game in Cincinnati, the Cubs called up outfielder Michael Hermosillo and designated reliever Dan Winkler for assignment.

They also announced right-hander Adrian Sampson will start Wednesday afternoon's game against the Reds in place of Adbert Alzolay, who is on the injured list with a hamstring strain.

Hermosillo has an interesting story. An Ottawa, Illinois, native, he once was an Illinois football commit as a slot receiver, but decided to play baseball when he was drafted by the Angels in the 28th round of the 2013 draft. He appeared in 56 games for the Angels over the past three seasons, then joined the Cubs as a free agent.

He's been a star for the Iowa Cubs, hitting .310 with 10 home runs and 29 RBI, and probably would have been called up sooner if not for a couple of injuries. Hermosillo is similar to Patrick Wisdom and Rafael Ortega as a guy with major league experience waiting for a chance, but he's younger at 26.

Sampson has 20 major league starts under his belt, mostly with Texas in 2019. His major league ERA is 5.71, and the Bellevue, Washington, native was 4-5 with a 4.96 ERA with Iowa this season.

Winkler has had three rough outings in a row, giving up 12 earned runs in just 1 2/3 innings. Left-hander Kyle Ryan reportedly chose to become a free agent after being designated for assignment recently.

Twittter: @McGrawDHSports

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