Cubs roster move: Drew Smyly activated from bereavement list as 27th man for doubleheader

As you saw in the series preview earlier this morning, Cubs lefthander Drew Smyly is listed as the starter for Game 1 of today’s doubleheader.

Smyly had been placed on the bereavement list on Tuesday. Hope all is well with him and his family. Players must spend at least three days on that list once placed, but no more than seven.

Smyly will officially serve as the 27th man for the doubleheader.

Thus Robert Gsellman, who wa recalled last week when Smyly was placed on the bereavement list, seems likely to be headed to Triple-A Iowa tomorrow, Gsellman had made five appearances (four starts) for Iowa and posted a 1.17 ERA and 0.783 WHIP, with 12 strikeouts in 15⅓ innings.

The Cubs will still need a fifth starter sometime during the San Diego series coming up next week, or they could go with a bullpen game for one of those games and rearrange the rotation after that, as there’s another off day next Thursday.

As always, we await developments.