Riley Martin became the latest Chicago Cubs pitcher to go on the injured list, and because there have been so many guys injured already, the team had to make room on the 40-man roster this past weekend. Charlie Barnes was called back up from Triple-A, and a day after pitching in a blowout, veteran Vince Velasquez was designated for assignment. The Cubs needed a warm body in the bullpen, so 32-year-old Yacksel Ríos had his contract selected from the Iowa Cubs.
There’s really not much to point at and immediately think Ríos can be an unexpected hero for the Cubs. Prior to his debut with the Cubs on Sunday, Ríos had a 6.37 ERA in 92 MLB games, and he had not pitched in the big leagues since the 2023 season. In 2023, the right-hander pitched in three games: 1.2 total innings with the Athletics.
I mean, it’s not like he was looking all that good in Triple-A with the Iowa Cubs this year either. In 10.2 innings, Ríos gave up six earned runs on nine hits, including four home runs. He racked up eight strikeouts in seven outings, but also walked six batters and hit a batter. Over 15 seasons pitching in the minor leagues, Ríos has a 4.13 ERA, a below-average strikeout rate, a below-average walk rate, and extensive experience traveling the country since 2011.
So, is there anything to like? Well, back in 2021, Ríos had the best stretch of his MLB career, posting a 3.70 ERA in 20 games with the Boston Red Sox. During the 24.1 inning stretch out of Boston’s bullpen, Ríos held opponents to a .157 batting average, recorded a 1.11 WHIP, and had 14 scoreless appearances out of 20 outings. It wasn’t flashy because Ríos still struggled with his command, and he was eventually dumped off the active roster in September.
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But if a guy who broke into pro ball in 2011 is still around, that means teams have to believe he can be useful. Well, the Cubs saw a glimpse of it on Sunday, when Ríos struck out two in 1.2 shutout innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He threw 13 pitches, featuring a three-pitch mix: four-seam fastball, sinker, and splitter. The Cubs are currently without Hunter Harvey and Daniel Palencia, the two hard-throwing relievers that the Cubs actually have, so it was good to see a bullpen arm actually throwing hard.
Ríos reached 99.2mph with his fastball and 98.9mph with his sinker against the Dodgers. Both of his strikeouts came on whiffs, the first on a fastball to Teoscar Hernandez, and then a splitter to Alex Freeland.
The Cubs currently have 11 pitchers from their 40-man roster on the injured list. It’s not that the Cubs are hoping Ríos can step up in the bullpen; they desperately need him to have a miracle run in 2026, because it is a terrible situation heading into May for the Cubs.
Can Yacksel Ríos turn into an instant hero for the Cubs? If he can throw enough strikes, then there’s a chance that the Cubs strike gold with the 32-year-old journeyman.
