Smokies Announce Roster Moves
Published on June 3, 2013 under Southern League (SL1)
Knoxville Smokies News Release
KODAK, Tenn. - The Tennessee Smokies, Double-A minor league affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, announced this afternoon that LHP Austin Kirk and OF Pin-Chieh Chen have been added to the team's active roster. In corresponding roster moves, RHP Matt Loosen has been sent to the Class A Daytona Cubs and INF Tim Torres has been placed on the disabled list, retroactive to Friday, May 31. Kirk and Chen will be available for the team's doubleheader against the Jackson Generals, which begins at 5:30 p.m.
The Smokies roster is set at 25 active players, which is the league maximum.
Chen, 21, joins the Smokies for the first time in his career. He started the 2013 season with the Low-A Kane County Cougars, where he hit .242 (39-for-161) with five doubles, two triples and 15 RBIs in 44 games. The Kaohsiung City, Taiwan native was signed by the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent in 2009.
Kirk, 23, comes back to Tennessee for the second time in his career, spending part of the 2012 campaign with the Smokies. The southpaw pitcher started this season with the Daytona Cubs and held a 6-2 record with a 4.50 ERA (27 ER/ 54 IP) in 11 outings (10 starts) for the D-Cubs. With the Smokies last season, Kirk was 2-0 with a 3.09 ERA in five appearances (four starts). The Owasso, Okla. native was selected by the Cubs in the third round of the 2009 draft out of Owasso (Okla.) High School.
Torres, 29, held a .290 (18-for-62) batting average with five doubles, a triple, a home run and seven RBIs in 22 games with the Smokies this season. Originally drafted by the Houston Astros in the 23rd round of the 2006 draft, the Berkley, Calif. native signed with the Cubs as a free agent in 2013.
Loosen, 24, was 1-2 with a 7.46 (29 ER/35 IP) in nine appearances (seven starts) for the Smokies in 2013. The Ponte Verda Beach, Fla. native was drafted by the Cubs in the 2010 MLB draft out of Jacksonville University.
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