Cubs Place P.J. Higgins on IL, Select José Lobatón, DFA Dakota Chalmers

Admit it, you freaked out a little because you thought it was Mekkes in the headline. Not to worry, he was not part of the recent roster shuffle that occurred in the wake of P.J. Higgins being placed on the IL with a right forearm strain. In order to fill his spot, the Cubs have selected catcher José Lobatón from Triple-A Iowa.

Even though Lobatón’s reputation as a defensive specialist has lost a little shine over the last few seasons, he’s still an experienced catcher for a team that needs help at that position. A career .215 hitter with a 70 wRC+ and 21 homers in 1,278 plate appearances, he’s not going to be much of an offensive threat. However, he has experience with veteran pitching staffs from his time in Washington and New York and can be expected to work well with the Cubs pitchers as needed.

Lobatón hasn’t appeared in an MLB game since 2018 with the Mets and may not be long for Chicago, but he offers solid depth for a team that is now on its fourth backup.

In order to make room on the 40-man roster, the Cubs designated righty Dakota Chalmers for assignment. The 24-year-old was claimed off waivers by Chicago last weekend and had not yet made an appearance as part of the organization. He had a 9.49 ERA and 13:15 K/BB across 12.1 innings at Double-A with the Twins this season.