CHICAGO — For the second time in two years, Chicago Cubs lefty Brad Wieck will undergo a heart ablation procedure stemming from an irregular heartbeat, the team announced on Friday.
Wieck, 29, has been on the injured list since July 9 due to the ailment. He made 15 appearances this season without giving up a run.
“He’s been dealing with this for a little while now,” manager David Ross said. “I think he’s in a good place with it. I think he was going to try and avoid it and went through another episode.”
Wieck was acquired from the San Diego Padres in 2019 but only pitched in one game last season due to a similar procedure to correct an atrial flutter. There’s no timetable for his return.
The Cubs also activated infielder Matt Duffy from the 60-day injured list as he’s fully recovered from a back injury after missing the last two months. Duffy was instrumental in a May surge for the team as he had a .377 on-base percentage before going down. The offense went backwards without him in June and now the team is likely to trade away veterans at the end of their contracts before Friday’s trade deadline.
To make room for Duffy, the team DFA’d infielder Eric Sogard.
“Sometimes the veteran gets the raw end of the deal,” Ross said of Sogard. “He’s done everything for us that we’ve asked.”