Gov. Mifflin/Kutztown University product Matt Swarmer designated for assignment by the Chicago Cubs
Jul. 16—Pitcher Matt Swarmer, a Gov. Mifflin and Kutztown University product, was designated for assignment Saturday by the Chicago Cubs
The Cubs, who had optioned Swarmer to Triple-A on Wednesday, have seven days to trade him, pass him through waivers or release him. Swarmer, a 28-year-old right-hander, also could be claimed on waivers by another team, which would put him on that team's 40-man roster.
Swarmer went 2-3 with a 5.03 ERA in 11 games, five of them starts, since making his major league debut May 30.
He went 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in his first two starts, allowing seven hits, two earned runs, walking three and striking out 11 in 12 innings. He struggled over his next three, however (9.95 ERA in 12.2 innings) and was moved to the bullpen.
"I was definitely surprised at first," Swarmer told the Chicago Sun-Times last month. "'But it's just a game of adjustments. I've got to just get ready faster for these relief appearances."
Swarmer had been 1-0 with a 2.89 ERA over 9.1 innings in six relief appearances. He had walked 10 and struck out 12.
"There's growth there," Cubs manager David Ross said of Swarmer, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, on Wednesday. "He's still very young in his career. And he's got to evolve like everybody else — come up, learn how hard it is to be able to land that slider for a strike consistently out of the bullpen."
Swarmer pitched a shutout inning against Baltimore Tuesday. He allowed one hit, walked three and struck out one.
Swarmer hadn't pitched since being demoted to Triple-A Iowa. He had gone 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA in nine games, five of them starts, for Iowa before his promotion to the Cubs.
Swarmer was selected in the 19th round by the Cubs in the 2016 draft.
