Toyota Road Report: July 8-13
July 7, 2025 - Midwest League (MWL)
South Bend Cubs News Release
The Major and Minor League Baseball All-Star Break is one week away, and teams around the country are trying to bottle up final bits of momentum that they can take with them into the midsummer breather. For the South Bend Cubs, it's an important road series on the way up in Appleton, as Nick Lovullo's crew faces off against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.
It's a big one this week, not just because of the four days off before the home series at Four Winds Field starting on July 18 against Peoria, but also in the fact that the Cubs are 3.5 games back of a playoff spot in the West Division. Wisconsin has struggled to open the second half, posting a division worst 5-10 mark. But they have also been decimated with injuries as of late too. The Cubs saw the Rattlers back in May around Downtown South Bend, with Wisconsin winning the first four games of that series, and the Cubs storming back with victories over the weekend.
One thing that will certainly be different this time around against the Timber Rattlers, their rotation to begin the week. Like South Bend, Wisconsin has received many Milwaukee Brewers rehab assignments thanks to the close distance between the parent club MLB city and the Minor League affiliate. That will be the case again for the Timber Rattlers, with left-hander Nestor Cortes expected to pitch against the Cubs in the opener on Tuesday night.
Cortes was traded to the Brewers from the New York Yankees this past off-season in the Devin Williams deal. Cortes got to pitch with the Bronx Bombers last year in the World Series versus the Los Angeles Dodgers, but his time in the Fall Classic is a little infamous for New York fans, as Cortes gave up the walk-off grand slam to Freddie Freeman in Game 1 of last year's World Series. It was the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history.
The southpaw Cortes has been on the Injured List since April 21 due to a left elbow flexor strain. He did make one other rehab assignment, with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds on July 2. Against the Memphis Redbirds, Cortes tossed three shutout innings with only one hit allowed, no walks, and four strikeouts.
The usual suspect that would be behind the plate to catch Cortes would be Marco Dinges. But the Florida State product recently hit the IL. That's good news for the Cubs, after Dinges has torn up the Minor League ranks in his first full pro season. Dinges hit .353 in 26 games at Low-A Carolina before getting called up to Wisconsin, and since he got promoted, he's picked up right where he left off with a .302 average in 32 games. He made his Midwest League debut versus the Cubs, and in six games had six base hits.
Still in Wisconsin though, is a thorn in so many teams' side in the Midwest League; Milwaukee #23 prospect Jadher Areinamo. A guy that hit .301 last year in the Midwest League in 110 games remains in Appleton, and he's also had a big year in 2025. 79 games, .294 average, seven home runs, 44 RBI. He's having almost a carbon copy to what he did last year, and is having a good stretch in his last five games especially, with a .333 average.
Lastly at the plate, Herbert Perez has had some success facing South Bend, batting .455 in six games with two home runs and three RBI. His start to July has not been as scorching, however. Perez is 1-for-his-last-19 with three walks.
Players to watch on South Bend...
Drew Gray, LHP: A big welcome back to the Midwest League to the southpaw! Drew Gray started this season on the Injured List, but returned to the South Bend Cubs in 2025 last week on the road in Peoria. It'll be a step-by-step approach for Gray as he gets comfortable back on the mound this season, but if he makes strides back to the guy he was at the end of last season, you'll be talking about huge prospect potential. The former Cubs third-round pick number-27 Chicago prospect has always had a big arm, mixing in a big breaking ball and a vanishing changeup. He was at his best to end 2024, and had eight or more strikeouts in three of his final five starts of 2025. That was ended with his first pro win in his last start of 2025, earning the W in Fort Wayne with six innings of one-run baseball with three hits allowed, one walk, and nine K's. You can make an argument he was most dominant in his first start of 2024, and his last. Remember his Midwest League debut on Opening Day 2024 in Quad Cities? Gray struck out the side in his first High-A inning, and finished with six punch outs in three scoreless innings. Gray had pitched twice this year in the Arizona Complex League before debuting with the South Bend Cubs last week, including an eight strikeout performance against the ACL Padres on June 24.
Ariel Armas, C: South Bend Cubs catcher Ariel Armas continues to look for consistency at the plate in 2025, but over the weekend, he had one of the best Cubs swings all season. In the 4th inning of Sunday's game versus Peoria, Armas drilled a double to the right-center field gap. A beautiful cut that gave the Cubs the lead and helped the Cubs to a 5-3 win. That's a type of swing that can turn around a season at the plate. It reminded me a lot of a Matt Mervis swing out in Fort Wayne in April of 2022. It was a left-on-left match-up for Mervis against a TinCaps pitched, and he ended up banging a line drive off the wall, which was the ignitor for the 'Mash Mervis' run of multiple years in the Cubs system. Talking with Merv years later about it, that was the moment in time where he felt like everything changed. That swing by Ari on Sunday has the potential to make a huge impact for him at the dish the rest of the way. The thing you appreciate most about Armas, he brings the passion and energy everyday behind the plate. He is so lock down good behind the dish, you start to take it for granted of how skillful the blocks and the deflections are. The Cubs have got a great one behind the plate.
Johzan Oquendo, RHP: Hard to believe this, that for a guy like Johzan Oquendo, who has posted a 1.98 ERA on the season out of the Cubs bullpen, Sunday was not only his first save, but also his first save opportunity. He's been utilized in every single situation, pitching early in games, being the 7th inning guy, 8th inning sometimes, and now over the weekend getting to close out a win. What Oquendo has done this season is masterful. A guy that missed all of 2024 due to injury, not necessarily considered a high-level prospect, but just shoves and does his job. Oquendo throws strikes, he gets hitters in 0-2 counts very quickly, and then he drops the hammer and ends their day. It's pretty simple. Off the field, he's a walking internet meme. He is constantly keeping the guys laughing, smiling, and being nothing but supportive to the guys in the clubhouse. Johzan Oquendo is the ultimate teammate. An unreal glue guy, but also a guy that's dominating on the mound.
Schedule and Probables...
Tuesday, July 8 - 7:40 PM ET: RHP Brooks Caple vs LHP Nestor Cortes (MLB Rehab)
Wednesday, July 9 - 1:10 PM ET: LHP Evan Aschenbeck vs RHP Ryan Birchard
Thursday, July 10 - 7:40 PM ET: RHP Brandon Birdsell vs. RHP Jaron DeBerry
Friday, July 11 - 7:40 PM ET: RHP Erian Rodriguez vs. RHP Manuel Rodriguez
Saturday, July 12 - 7:40 PM ET: RHP Ryan Gallagher vs. RHP Tanner Gillis
Sunday, July 13 - 2:10 PM ET: RHP Connor Schultz vs. LHP Sam Garcia
Midwest League Stories from July 7, 2025
- Toyota Road Report: July 8-13 - South Bend Cubs
- Captains' Alfonsin Rosario Named Midwest League Player of the Week - Lake County Captains
- Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Homestand Highlights: July 8-13 - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
