Cubs DFA Tony Wolters, call up P.J. Higgins to take his spot |
CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today selected catcher P.J. Higgins from Triple-A Iowa. Catcher Tony Wolters has been designated for assignment.
Higgins, 28, will wear uniform No. 20 and is available for tonight’s 6:40 p.m. CT game against the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field. He looks to make his major league debut. Higgins has hit .333 (13-for-39) with two doubles, a triple, a home run, six RBI, a .458 on-base percentage and a .513 slugging percentage in 11 games at Triple-A Iowa this season. He spent time last year at the South Bend Alternate Site. In 2019, Higgins reached Triple-A for the first time in his career after spending the majority of the season with Double-A Tennessee, earning mid-season Southern League All-Star honors. He betted .276 (74-for-268) with 10 doubles, five homers and 38 RBI in 72 games prior to his promotion to Iowa, July 11. With the I-Cubs, Higgins batted .291 (34-for-117) with eight doubles, five homers, 19 RBI and a .521 slugging mark. Between Tennessee and Iowa, the catcher threw out 23 runners attempting to steal (23-of-56/.411). Originally selected by the Cubs in the 12th round of the 2015 draft out of Old Dominion University, Higgins has batted .273 (471-for-1,725) with 89 doubles, eight triples, 21 home runs and 193 RBI in 484 career minor league games. His 221 walks have contributed to a .359 on-base percentage. In 47 games at the Triple-A level, Higgins has hit .301 (47-for-156) with 10 doubles, three triples, six home runs, 25 RBI and a .915 OPS. Wolters, 28, has batted .125 (3-for-24) with three runs in 14 games for Chicago. He signed a one-year major league deal with Chicago, March 31.
