April 03--PHOENIX -- The Chicago Cubs cleared a spot on their 40-man roster Friday by announcing that left-handed reliever Drake Britton cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Iowa.
Britton had a 3.24 ERA in nine appearances this spring, but the Cubs intend to go with Phil Coke is their only left-hander in the bullpen.
Britton's move means that the Cubs could elect to add infielder Jonathan Herrera, but the Cubs have yet to finalize their 25-man roster.
The Cubs were expected to make several announcements before Friday night's game against Arizona at Chase Field, including the alignment of their rotation.
It's expected that David Ross will start at catcher on opening night. Ross caught Jon Lester's minor league game on Tuesday, with Miguel Montero catching Jason Hammel on Wednesday and Jake Arrieta on Thursday.
But no announcement from the Commissioner's Office regarding Tampa Bay's tampering claim against the Cubs involving manager Joe Maddon will be made today.
Commissioner Rob Manfred said in February that he hoped that his office would reach a decision by the start of the regular season.
