Bryant Set to Make Triple-A Debut with Iowa

Des Moines, IA - The Chicago Cubs made a series of roster moves today impacting the Iowa Cubs roster. 3B Kris Bryant and RHP Arodys Vizcaino join Iowa from double-A Tennessee. C Welington Castillo has been assigned to the Iowa roster on a Major League rehab assignment. 3B Christian Villanueva and RHP Frank Batista have been re-assigned to double-A Tennessee.

Bryant, the second overall pick in last year's draft, batted .355 (88-for-248) with 61 runs scored, 20 doubles, 22 home runs, and 58 RBI in 68 games with Tennessee. He leads the Southern League in 10 offensive categories and is tied for third in MiLB in homers, tied for third in average, and tied for eighth in RBI. Bryant entered the year as the Cubs second-best prospect according to Baseball America and a top-20 prospect in all of baseball by FanGraphs (6), Baseball America (8), MLB.com (9), ESPN (15), and Baseball Prospectus (17). Bryant was named a mid-season Southern League All-Star this year and won the league's Home Run Derby on Monday after belting 16 homers. The 22-year-old slugger played in the Arizona Fall League last October and was named the AFL MVP after leading the circuit in five categories. Bryant attended the University of San Diego and earned numerous collegiate awards including the 2013 Baseball America Player of the Year, the 2013 Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Year and the 2013 Louisville Slugger Player of the Year after leading the nation with 31 home runs.

Castillo hit .242 (39-for-161) with eight doubles, five homers and 21 RBI in 43 games with Chicago this year before being placed on the disabled list on June 3 with a left rib cage injury. He is in his second full major league season and has batted .263 (196-for-744) with 46 doubles 19 homers and 80 RBI over 219 big league games, covering parts of three years.

Vizcaino started the year in high-A Daytona and had a 1.00 ERA (1ER/9IP) with 10 strikeouts in nine appearances before getting promoted to Tennessee on May 7. He pitched in 14 games for the Smokies and logged a 2.63 ERA (4ER/13.2IP) with 16 strikeouts compared to just three walks. The Cubs acquired Vizcaino from Atlanta in a July 2012 trade, but he has missed the last two seasons due to two right elbow surgeries.

Villanueva hit .211 (47-for-223) with a team-leading 18 doubles, six homers and 26 RBI in 64 games in his first stint at triple-A. Batista had a 3.86 ERA (3ER/7IP) in eight games with Iowa after starting the year, and pitching in three games, with the Smokies.

Bryant is expected to be in the lineup tonight as the Cubs and Chihuahuas play the third game of their four-game series from Principal Park at 7:05. LH Tsuyoshi Wada (6-4, 2.82) toes the rubber for the Cubs against LH Jason Lane (5-5, 4.44). The game will be broadcast live on AM 940 and streamed live at iowacubs.com with the On-Deck Circle Pre-Game Show starting at 6:45.