Veteran outfielder Michael Conforto has earned a place on the Chicago Cubs' Opening Day roster after arriving as a non-roster invitee this spring. His inclusion comes amid ongoing decisions for the bench and bullpen, with Seiya Suzuki sidelined by a knee injury.
In Mesa, Ariz., Michael Conforto reflected on the moment he learned he made the Cubs' Opening Day roster. The veteran outfielder, who entered spring training as a non-roster invitee, said Sunday morning: “It still felt like I was a prospect. Last time I was told I made the team, I was 24. It kind of felt like that. Excitement. Relief. All those feelings come back. It’s a little different now, because I have a wife and two kids and responsibilities. Now, I get to tell my wife, ‘Hey, we are going. We can plan on everything.’ ” Camp breaks on Tuesday, with final roster spots still undecided for the bullpen and bench, according to Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer. “We have some decisions,” Hoyer said. “I thought I might be able to give you guys a sense of exactly what’s happening when we leave here on Tuesday, but we still have some balls in the air with the bullpen and the bench.” One factor is outfielder Seiya Suzuki, ruled out for Opening Day due to a right knee issue, with a possible injured list stint pending further evaluation. The Cubs returned first-base prospect Jonathon Long to Triple-A Iowa for regular at-bats. Manager Craig Counsell noted: “The message for Johnny was that we want you to play. He’s a day away from being the big leagues.” Non-roster outfielder Chas McCormick, sidelined by a shoulder issue, will also report to Iowa. Remaining bench candidates include Kevin Alcántara, Dylan Carlson and Scott Kingery. For the final bullpen spot, Javier Assad and Ben Brown remain in contention after Corbin Martin and Collin Snider were optioned to the minors. The locked-in relievers are Daniel Palencia, Phil Maton, Caleb Thielbar, Hunter Harvey, Jacob Webb, Hoby Milner and Colin Rea. Hoyer emphasized the need for depth: “The more depth you have, the better. The more versatility you have, the better.”
