Cubs Cut Veteran Dansby Swanson Replacement After Just 1 Inning
The Cubs are navigating complex roster challenges due to injuries, notably Dansby Swanson's left oblique strain, which has sidelined him for at least a month and thinned their shortstop depth. In response, Chicago briefly added veteran infielder Owen Miller. However, Miller was designated for assignment after just one inning at second base and no plate appearance, making way for Daniel Palencia's return and another roster move. His departure wasn't performance-related but a consequence of the team's need for roster flexibility. Despite this abrupt exit, Miller's impressive Triple-A performance this season, batting .296 with seven home runs, and his extensive major league experience across six seasons, suggest he could attract interest from other organizations, especially since he is out of minor league options.
The Cubs' roster has become increasingly difficult to manage as injuries force the team to find short-term solutions while preserving enough flexibility for the players expected to return.
That was particularly evident as the club looked to replace franchise shortstop Dansby Swanson, whose absence has forced an infield shuffle and several changes to the big-league roster.
“With Dansby Swanson currently on the injured list and sidelined for at least the next month, the Cubs’ depth at shortstop has been thinned at a crucial point in the baseball calendar,” Jordan Bastian wrote for MLB.com. “Swanson sustained a left oblique strain on Sunday against the (St. Louis) Cardinals and landed on the 10-day IL on Monday.”
Chicago responded by adding players to its infield mix, including veteran Owen Miller. But his stay on the Cubs' roster proved to be remarkably brief.
Miller, who has seen major-league action across six different seasons, was designated for assignment on Friday, just days after being called up to help replace Swanson. The move came as Chicago needed to make room for another roster addition, ending Miller's latest major league opportunity after just a single game.
“Miller was just called up on Monday as an extra infielder after Dansby Swanson went on the injured list,” Anthony Franco noted for MLB Trade Rumors. “He played one inning at second base in Tuesday’s walk-off win over the White Sox. Miller didn’t draw a plate appearance and was pushed off the roster when Chicago had a chance to grab a superior defender in Arias.”
The circumstances make Miller's departure particularly notable. He wasn't removed because of an extended stretch of poor production in Chicago; he simply became the odd man out when the Cubs needed to create roster space.
“The Cubs needed to clear a spot on their 40-man roster for the return of Daniel Palencia on Friday and unfortunately for Miller he was the odd man out,” David Shovein NBC Sports" href="https://www.nbcsports.com/fantasy/baseball/player-news/2026-08-21/cubs-designate-owen-miller-for-assignment" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">wrote for NBC Sports. “It’s possible that the 29-year-old infielder could attract interest on waivers.”
Despite the abrupt ending to his time with the Cubs’ big-league roster, Miller's broader season provides reason to believe another organization could take a look.
The former third-round pick has now appeared in the majors in six consecutive seasons, playing for four different organizations. He owns a career .238/.287/.342 slash line across just over 1,000 major league plate appearances.
His work at Triple-A Iowa has been considerably more encouraging this season. Miller entered the Cubs' latest roster shuffle hitting .296/.350/.457 with seven home runs, demonstrating enough offensive production to potentially attract interest from another club.
Miller is out of minor league options, meaning any team claiming him would have to put him directly on its major league roster. If he clears waivers, he could elect free agency, although Chicago could potentially attempt to bring him back on a minor league contract.