(670 The Score) The Cubs have matched an unenviable MLB record.
When recently promoted infielder Tyler Ladendorf pinch-hit for Chicago in St. Louis in the fifth inning on Saturday evening, it marked the 67th player of the season whom the club had used, according to Baseball Reference and previous research by team historian Ed Hartig. That tied the 2019 Mariners for the most players used in an MLB season.
Going by the primary position they played, the Cubs have used 34 pitchers, 13 infielders, 12 outfielders and eight catchers in 2021, according to Baseball Reference.
It certainly wasn’t a record the Cubs had in their sights when the season started. They were serious contenders in the NL Central race until a prolonged skid in late June and early July led them to selling their core players ahead of the trade deadline. The focus of the ensuing two months has been on player development, with various lineups featuring a rotating cast of journeymen, career minor leaguers and youngsters getting a bigger opportunity to play.
In recent days, a COVID-19 outbreak for the Cubs as the regular season is winding down led to third baseman Patrick Wisdom, infielder David Bote, outfielder Nick Martini and catcher Austin Romine being placed on the injured list with unspecified issues. That and infielder Nico Hoerner getting shut down with oblique tightness led to the Cubs to reach deeper into their system in recent days, adding Ladendorf to the roster and catapulting them to an MLB record that clubs would rather not have.