I mean, there’s desperation, and then you have the Chicago Cubs, who can’t go a day without receiving bad injury news. Pitching is always at a premium, and the Cubs are scrambling to get any healthy arms into the organization following a ridiculous run of bad luck with injuries. Normally, guys claimed off waivers in April may not ultimately matter, but for the Cubs, the newly-acquired Doug Nikhazy could be someone to keep an eye on, considering the current state of the team’s injury report.
The Cubs grabbed Nikhazy from the White Sox, who tried to sneak the left-handed pitcher through waivers. The 26-year-old is now on the Cubs’ 40-man roster and has been assigned to Triple-A Iowa. To make room on the roster, the Cubs have once again designated infielder Ben Cowles for assignment. Cowles has been let go by the Cubs three times since last September.
Nikhazy hasn’t pitched much at all in the majors. The lefty tossed two innings with the White Sox on April 17, and in 2025, he appeared in two games with the Cleveland Guardians. So, what exactly do the Cubs see in Nikhazy that they view him as worthy of a 40-man roster spot? Maybe this was a Carter Hawkins guy.
Hawkins, now in his fourth year as the GM of the Cubs, spent 10+ years working in Cleveland’s organization, including five years as the Guardians’ assistant GM. His last year in Cleveland was 2021, when the team selected Nikhazy in the second round with the 58th overall pick out of Mississippi.
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The left-handed pitcher had a breakout season in the minor leagues in 2024, when Nikhazy posted a 2.98 ERA in 123.2 innings. Between his time in Double-A and Triple-A, Nikhazy recorded a 25.4 K%, while holding opponents to a .190 batting average. The lefty had a 1.09 WHIP and surrendered 12 total home runs in 24 starts.
Unfortunately, Nikhazy hasn’t quite reached that level of success since 2024. He struggled at Triple-A in 2025, pitched only four innings in his brief cup of coffee with the Guardians, and was then designated for assignment a month ago. The White Sox claimed Nikhazy off waivers, called him up in mid-April, but sent him back down to Triple-A after his two-inning appearance against the Athletics.
One advantage Nikhazy has over some others is that, because of his limited MLB time, he still has minor league options available. So, the Cubs can easily try him out at any moment, and if Nikhazy doesn’t perform, then he can be sent right back down to the minors.
Shocker, he doesn’t throw hard. No clue why, but the Cubs seemingly have no concerns over pitchers who just don’t come with high velocity. Nikhazy throws his fastball in the upper 80s, averaging 87mph. He mixes in a changeup, sinker, and sweeper with the occasional slider and curveball.
