After the Texas Rangers did some 40-man roster housecleaning on Monday, they lost one of their relief pitchers to the upstart Chicago Cubs.
Joseph Ortiz, that lefty reliever who took the league by storm in 2013 before hitting a rookie wall pretty early on, was claimed by the Cubs after the Rangers removed him from their 40-man roster. Ortiz didn't pitch for the Rangers in 2014 after he was struck by a motorcycle in Venezuela last winter and suffered a fractured foot that kept him out of action for a good while. When he was finally healthy, he pitched in Triple-A Round Rock.
Ortiz finished the 2013 season with a 4.23 ERA in 32 appearances totaling 44 2/3 innings after he got off to a scorching start to his big-league career by giving up just one run in his first seven appearances.
If he returns to health and regains his effectiveness, he could be a nice middle relief piece for the Cubs, and the Rangers have plenty of other options in that capacity.
