Cubs agree to a minor league deal with struggling right-hander Kenta Maeda

Chicago Crosstown Classic: Tina Nguyen recaps Cubs-Sox Game 1

The Chicago Cubs took Game 1 of the Crosstown Classic on Friday.

The Chicago Cubs have agreed to a minor league contract with Kenta Maeda, giving the struggling right-hander another chance to regain his form.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell confirmed the deal before Friday's 13-3 victory over the White Sox.

The 37-year-old Maeda had a 7.88 ERA in seven relief appearances for Detroit before he was designated for assignment on May 1. He went 3-7 with a 6.09 ERA in 17 starts and 12 relief appearances in his first year with the Tigers after agreeing to a $24 million, two-year contract in November 2023.

"I think it's a player that you got to have a constant conversation with, and see where we can maybe make some adjustments and see where he's at," Counsell said.

The backstory:

Maeda made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016, going 16-11 with a 3.48 ERA in 32 starts. He went 6-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 11 starts for Minnesota during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, finishing second in AL Cy Young Award balloting.

Maeda, who missed the 2022 season because of Tommy John surgery, is 68-56 with a 4.20 ERA in 226 major league games, including 172 starts.

The NL Central-leading Cubs have three key starting pitchers on the injured list. Shota Imanaga has a mild left hamstring strain, and Javier Assad has an oblique issue. Justin Steele is out for the rest of the season with an elbow injury.

Imanaga got hurt during a 4-0 loss at Milwaukee on May 4. Counsell said the team wants to get through this weekend before laying out a plan for Imanaga's return.

"For now, we're just continuing to throw," Counsell said. "He's kind of having a high day, a medium day, a low day throwing, but continuing to throw every day on that kind of rotational cycle."

Dig deeper:

The Cubs also are playing without left fielder Ian Happ, who is on the 10-day IL with a left oblique strain. The three-time Gold Glove winner got hurt on a swing last week.

"I think tomorrow is kind of a bigger day to see where we're at with Ian, because obviously we have to progress towards hitting if we're talking about (activating him on) Tuesday," Counsell said.