Here, officially, are the roster changes for Friday's game:
Cubs place Felix Doubront (left calf strain) on the disabled list and call up Blake Parker and Chris Valaika from Triple-A Iowa.
— Patrick Mooney (@CSNMooney) August 1, 2014
But wait, you're saying! Parker was just sent down after the 16-inning marathon Tuesday, and you have to stay in the minor leagues for 10 days, right?
Right... except if you're replacing an injured player, which Parker technically is. Doubront was added to the 25-man roster when he was acquired in Wednesday's trade, even if it was never explicitly stated that was being done. Thus, moving Doubront to the DL allows the Cubs to bring back Parker. I still think that soon -- maybe even on this trip -- Kyuji Fujikawa will join the Cubs' bullpen, with Parker riding the Des Moines shuttle again.
This means that Chris Rusin sticks around and the Cubs still have two lefthanders (Rusin and Wesley Wright) in the bullpen.
Valaika, who will wear uniform No. 4, will be added to the 40-man roster and that will leave one open spot on the 40-man (which, presumably, will go to Fujikawa when he's activated from the 60-day disabled list). Valaika, as noted earlier today, is hitting .278/.344/.423 with 21 doubles and 10 home runs in 352 at-bats at Triple-A Iowa and has played every position except pitcher and catcher. He's being rewarded for his versatility and for being a good organizational guy.
When Valaika makes his first appearance as a Cub, he will become the 37th player to wear a Cubs uniform this year, far fewer than at this time the last two years. So that's a bit of progress, anyway.