Cubs roster move: Austin Romine to injured list, Erick Castillo called up

Wednesday, Cubs infielder Patrick Wisdom was placed on the injured list without a designation (in other words, no “10-day” or similar wording). Generally, right now that means the COVID-19 list, but that was not made official by the Cubs.

Today, there’s another such placement:

Here’s the corresponding move:

If a player is added to the active roster but is not on the 40-man roster, this can be done if the IL placement is to the COVID-19 list. That’s how Erick Castillo can be added. Last week, BCB’s Tim Huwe hoped Castillo would get a callup, and now he’s here.

Castillo was signed by the Cubs out of Venezuela in 2012 and this year has hit .199/.307/.246 (34-for-171) in 57 games split between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa. Clearly, he’s on the roster just to provide emergency backup for Willson Contreras.

If Castillo gets into a game, he will be the 66th man to play for the Cubs in 2021.

The Cubs have called another catcher to Pittsburgh to be on the taxi squad:

Payne was the Cubs’ 30th (!) round draft pick in 2015 from West Virginia State University. This year he hit .231/.291/.363 (49-for-212) with 14 doubles and four home runs at Double-A Tennessee.

At least one other player has been summoned to Pittsburgh to be on the taxi squad:

Austin Romine ends his season (and likely his time with the Cubs) batting .217/.242/.300 (13-for-60) with two doubles and one home run.

As always, we await further developments.