Ethan Roberts last pitched for the Chicago Cubs on April 29, 2022, against the Milwaukee Brewers. Over two years later, the right-handed pitcher has made his return to the majors, rejoining the Cubs to start the weekend series at the same venue where he last appeared in the big leagues.
Selected in the fourth round of the 2018 MLB Draft from Tennessee Tech, Roberts made his first Opening Day roster in 2022 and pitched in nine games that April. Unfortunately, he was shut down in early May due to shoulder inflammation. After a rehab outing in Triple-A in June, he discovered he needed Tommy John surgery.
This surgery sidelined Roberts for the rest of the 2022 season, and he missed the entire 2023 season as well. In November, the Cubs non-tendered him, but later re-signed him to a minor league deal. Roberts began his comeback on May 11, pitching a scoreless inning in the Arizona Complex League as part of his rehab assignment. He then moved to the Tennessee Smokies at Double-A for one appearance before being promoted to Triple-A Iowa on May 17.
Fans who followed Roberts’ recovery noted his dominance over opposing batters. His string of scoreless outings in Triple-A Iowa drew attention, especially given the Cubs’ bullpen struggles. Roberts’ impressive performance fueled hopes for his return to the majors.
By June 10, 2024, Roberts had pitched eight scoreless innings in Triple-A, boasting a 27.3% strikeout-to-walk rate. His standout sweeper pitch, with a 41.9% whiff rate and averaging 20 inches of movement, indicated he was nearing a call-up.
On Friday, the Cubs officially called up Roberts. Before his promotion, he had pitched 15 scoreless innings in the minors, recording 18 strikeouts and 8 walks, and allowing only 6 hits. He held hitters to a .122 batting average and had a 0.93 WHIP in 14 relief appearances.
Roberts’ sweeper, which showed promise during his brief 2022 stint with the Cubs, continues to impress. His comeback is a testament to his resilience and skill, and Cubs fans are hopeful that he will replicate his minor league success at the major league level.
“NASTY STRIKEOUT FROM ETHAN ROBERTS!” – pic.twitter.com/UwoArnZidZ
