Chicago Cubs Recall Right-Hander

The Chicago Cubs announced Tuesday that they decided to recall Ethan Roberts from AAA Iowa. Roberts has spent time with the team in previous seasons and even saw some brief action in 2025 before being sent back down in a roster manipulation situation. His time back in AAA was brief, however, as the 27-year-old right-hander is back with the major league team after an injury to Porter Hodge opened the door for Roberts to make his return.

The injury and announcement that Hodge would be heading to the injured list came a day before the announcement that Roberts would be taking Hodge’s roster spot. This was in part to check on the rehab progress of Ryan Brasier, who has been out since the opening series of the year with a groin injury. Once the team knew that Brasier needed more time before rejoining the club, Roberts got the nod and is back with the Chicago Cubs for the second time in 2025.

Chicago Cubs Bring Up Ethan Roberts

The Chicago Cubs’ bullpen has been a whirlwind of transactions so far in the opening months of the 2025 MLB season. Another move got added to the long list Tuesday when the team announced that Roberts is being recalled from AAA Iowa. The move comes a day after it was announced that Hodge is heading to the 15-day IL with an oblique injury. Roberts will likely not replace Hodge in the exact role as he left it, but the 27-year-old has exhibited the potential to work high-leverage situations on a semi-consistent basis. For at least the next two weeks, the Chicago Cubs are hoping that he can do just that.

In his career, Ethan Roberts has appeared in 39 games, going 2-2 with a 4.85 ERA and 1.57 WHIP in 42.2 innings across three seasons. This year, Roberts is 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 8.1 innings through nine appearances. He has shown the ability to work quality innings and keep the bullpen line moving if he stays true to his mechanics and rhythm. When he doesn’t stay in tune with those, he gets into trouble and is susceptible to the long ball. That is a huge no-no for key relievers. With the unfortunate injury to Hodge, Roberts has another opportunity to exhibit his talent and earn a more permanent spot in the Chicago Cubs bullpen.

Final Thoughts

Earning that spot may require more than just a slight improvement from Roberts. One of the other candidates to take Hodge’s spot on the active MLB roster is Brasier. Brasier has been out since the Tokyo Series with a left groin strain. The Chicago Cubs were hopeful that he might be ready to come back and rejoin the team after making back-to-back rehab appearances, but the 37-year-old is still not 100%.

The timetable for his return has been pushed to any time from the end of this month to the middle of June. In the meantime, Roberts has a chance to earn a bigger role in the Chicago Cubs organization after this latest call-up.