Cubs Minor League Recap: Rojas Homers Twice, Alcántara Slams Grand Slam as Affiliates Explode

[Travis Klosinski]

Chicago Cubs Transactions

• Chicago Cubs designated RHP Eduarniel Núñez for assignment.
• Chicago Cubs placed RHP Edward Cabrera on the 15-day injured list. Left hamstring strain.
• Chicago Cubs placed RHP Ben Brown on the 15-day injured list retroactive to June 21, 2026. Neck strain.
• Chicago Cubs designated RHP Christian Roa for assignment.
• Chicago Cubs recalled RHP Gavin Hollowell from Iowa Cubs.
• Chicago Cubs sent LHP Luis Peralta outright to Iowa Cubs.
• Chicago Cubs selected the contract of RHP Vince Velasquez from Iowa Cubs.
• Chicago Cubs claimed RHP Bryse Wilson off waivers from Philadelphia Phillies.
• Chicago Cubs recalled RHP Tyler Ferguson from Iowa Cubs.

Iowa Plates 11 In The Fifth To Bury Buffalo

The Iowa Cubs piled up 19 hits and 18 runs in a rout of the Buffalo Bisons. Kevin Alcántara led the way, going 4-for-5 with a grand slam, a double, and four runs batted in.

Owen Miller added a home run, a double, and three RBI, James Triantos homered and drove in three, and Brett Bateman reached base four times with three runs scored. The decisive frame was the fifth, when Iowa sent a parade of hitters to the plate and scored 11 times.

Owen Miller doubled home a run, Bateman singled in another, and back-to-back bases-loaded walks to Moisés Ballesteros and Jonathon Long pushed across two more.

Alcántara then cleared the bases with his grand slam, and Triantos followed with a two-run homer to cap the outburst.

Will Sanders started and worked five innings, allowing four hits and three runs, all earned, with three walks and four strikeouts. The bullpen had a rougher time, as Vince Reilly and Kenten Egbert combined to allow eight runs over the final three and a third innings, but the early cushion was more than enough.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Brett Bateman	5	3	3	2	1	2
BJ Murray	4	2	3	0	1	1
Moisés Ballesteros	5	1	1	2	1	1
Jonathon Long	3	2	1	1	2	0
Kevin Alcántara	5	3	4	4	0	0
Owen Miller	4	2	3	3	1	0
James Triantos	4	2	3	3	0	1
Christian Bethancourt	3	1	0	0	2	0
Ben Cowles	4	2	1	1	0	1

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Will Sanders	5	4	3	3	3	4	1
Vince Reilly	1 2/3	3	4	4	3	0	2
Kenten Egbert	2 1/3	5	4	2	2	1	1

Rojas Homers Twice And Drives In Five To Pace Knoxville

The Knoxville Smokies jumped on the Birmingham Barons early and held on for a 10-4 win.

Jefferson Rojas was the catalyst, going 3-for-5 with two home runs and five runs batted in. Alex Ramírez chipped in three hits, and Andy Garriola added a home run and three RBI.

Knoxville built its lead across the first three innings. Rojas opened the scoring with a solo homer in the first, and Ramírez doubled home another run that frame. In the second, Rojas struck again with a three-run blast that scored Hayden Cantrelle and Karson Simas, and Garriola's two-run homer in the third pushed the margin to 7-1.

Nick Dean turned in the standout pitching performance, working five innings and allowing three hits and one run, with one walk and five strikeouts. Evan Taylor followed with two scoreless innings and four strikeouts to help close it out. Knoxville left 10 runners on base but did enough damage early to never trail.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Karson Simas	5	1	0	0	1	2
Jefferson Rojas	5	2	3	5	1	1
Owen Ayers	4	2	2	0	1	1
Alex Ramírez	5	2	3	1	0	0
Andy Garriola	5	1	2	3	0	0
Edgar Alvarez	4	0	0	0	1	0
Carter Trice	4	0	2	0	1	0
Ariel Armas	4	0	0	0	1	2
Hayden Cantrelle	3	2	1	0	2	0

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Nick Dean	5	3	1	1	1	5	0
Yenrri Rojas	1	1	2	2	3	1	0
Evan Taylor	2	2	0	0	1	4	0
Kenyi Perez	1	2	1	1	1	2	0

Florentino And Hartshorn Lead South Bend Past Quad Cities

The South Bend Cubs got a dominant start from Jostin Florentino and a big day from Josiah Hartshorn in an 8-1 win over the Quad Cities River Bandits.

Hartshorn went 3-for-5 with a home run and three runs batted in, Ty Southisene added two hits and two runs scored, and leadoff man Kane Kepley reached base four times and scored three runs.

South Bend struck immediately in the first, scoring three times. Hartshorn singled home Kepley, Matt Halbach reached on an error that brought in Southisene, and Jose Escobar's sacrifice fly scored Hartshorn.

The lead held until the seventh, when Southisene and Escobar delivered run-scoring singles to extend the margin, and Hartshorn capped the night with a two-run homer in the eighth. 

Florentino set the tone on the mound, throwing four scoreless innings with one hit, two walks, and seven strikeouts. Brayden Spears followed with three and two-thirds innings, allowing one run while striking out six, and Ethan Bell recorded the final out.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Kane Kepley	2	3	0	0	2	0
Ty Southisene	4	2	2	1	1	0
Josiah Hartshorn	5	2	3	3	0	0
Matt Halbach	5	0	1	1	0	1
Angel Cepeda	4	0	2	0	1	1
Jose Escobar	3	0	1	2	1	1
Justin Stransky	3	0	0	0	1	0
Alex Madera	4	0	1	0	0	2
Christian Olivo	3	1	0	0	1	0

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Jostin Florentino	4	1	0	0	2	7	0
Brayden Spears	3 2/3	3	1	1	0	6	0
Ethan Bell	1/3	0	0	0	0	1	0

Pelicans Rally Falls Short In One-Run Loss At Salem

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans could not overcome an early deficit and dropped a 5-4 decision to the Salem Red Sox.

Geuri Lubo led the offense, going 3-for-4, and Eli Lovich drove in two runs with a triple. The Pelicans dug themselves a hole behind starter Hayden Frank, who allowed six hits and five runs, all earned, with two home runs over three innings while striking out two.

Myrtle Beach answered in the third, when Lovich tripled home Lubo and Alexis Hernandez to cut into the lead. Derniche Valdez doubled in a run in the sixth, and a sacrifice fly from Hernandez in the seventh brought the Pelicans within one.

The bullpen kept them in it, as Jordan Henriquez and Sam Mettert combined for five scoreless innings out of relief, but the offense stranded six runners and could not push across the tying run.

Player	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K
Alexey Lumpuy	3	0	0	0	1	2
Alexis Hernandez	3	1	0	0	1	1
Eli Lovich	4	0	1	2	0	1
Logan Poteet	4	1	1	0	0	1
Michael Carico	4	0	1	0	0	2
Derniche Valdez	4	0	1	1	0	3
Yahil Melendez	4	0	1	0	0	2
Edward Vargas	0	0	0	0	0	0
Geuri Lubo	4	2	3	0	0	0
Darlyn De Leon	4	0	0	0	0	1

Player	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR
Hayden Frank	3	6	5	5	1	2	2
Jordan Henriquez	3	2	0	0	0	2	0
Sam Mettert	2	0	0	0	1	1	0

Top-20 Prospect Performance

1. Jefferson Rojas: 3-for-5, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
2. Jaxon Wiggins: DNP
3. Pedro Ramirez: DNP
4. Kevin Alcántara: 4-for-5, 2B, HR, 4 RBI
5. Josiah Hartshorn: 3-for-5, HR, 3 RBI
6. Ethan Conrad: DNP
7. Kane Kepley: 0-for-2, 3 R, 2 BB
8. Jonathon Long: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, 2 BB
9. James Triantos: 3-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, 1 K
10. Cole Mathis: DNP
11. Owen Ayers: 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K
12. Brooks Caple: DNP
13. Juan Cabada: DNP
14. Kaleb Wing: DNP
15. Angel Cepeda: 2-for-4, 1 BB, 1 K
16. Dominick Reid: DNP
17. Jostin Florentino: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K
18. Ty Southisene: 2-for-4, 2 R, RBI, 1 BB
19. Will Sanders: 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 1 HR
20. Brandon Birdsell: DNP

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