The Chicago Cubs are coming off a series where they took three of four games from the St. Louis Cardinals.
Now, as the weekend approaches, Chicago will welcome the New York Yankees to Wrigley Field for a 3-game weekend set. The Yankees just split their previous series with the Chicago White Sox.
Ahead of the series opener between the Cubs and Yankees, Chicago announced a pair of roster moves.
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Chicago Cubs Announce Roster News on Friday Afternoon
GettyPITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – JULY 24: Gavin Hollowell #46 of the Chicago Cubs celebrates after a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on July 24, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Before the series kicks off between New York and Chicago, the Cubs announced the following roster news:
Antoine Kelly will make his MLB debut once he enters a game, which could be on Friday, and Gavin Hollowell hits the 15-day IL with a shoulder issue.
It’s a historic matchup between the Cubs and Yankees, which features two long-time fanbases.
MLBTR.com wrote (about the Antoine Kelly decision):Â
“Chicago picked up Kelly in a cash deal with the Dodgers in early June. The 26-year-old has a strong 2.79 ERA with a 26.5% strikeout rate in 13 appearances at Triple-A Iowa. Perhaps most importantly, Kelly has an 8.4% walk rate since joining the organization, one of the better marks of his career.”
CBSSports’ RotoWire staff wrote (on July 31):
“Hollowell tossed a scoreless frame in Thursday’s win over the Cardinals, but he evidently didn’t bounce back well from the outing. Antoine Kelly will grab Hollowell’s spot on the roster and in the bullpen.”
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More on Gavin Hollowell/Antoine Kelly
GettyCINCINNATI, OHIO – JULY 12: pitcher Gavin Hollowell #46 of the Chicago Cubs celebrates with teammates following the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on July 12, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images)
Gavin Hollowell has pitched 14.2 innings this season, and he holds an ERA of 2,51, all in relief outings.
He’s pitched in parts of five MLB seasons, including three with the Chicago Cubs.
He’s yet to pitch more than 33 innings in a full season, but his 2026 campaign with the Cubs has been his best sample size of MLB outings in his career.
As for Antoine Kelly, he carries a 2.79 ERA over 19.1 innings in AAA Iowa, with 22 strikeouts. Kelly was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2nd round of the 2019 MLB draft, but has been stuck in the minors for his entire professional career.
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