Stroman (ribs) allowed one hit and one walk while striking out three over two scoreless innings of relief in Friday's 6-4 loss to the Diamondbacks.
The Cubs were down 6-0 when Stroman entered the game, though he kept it close enough for them to threaten with a ninth-inning rally. The right-hander hadn't made a relief appearance since his rookie year in 2014, though this may have been a way for the Cubs to get him some game action prior to a return to the rotation. He has a 3.79 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 53:11 K:BB through 130.2 innings over 24 appearances (23 starts) this season. The Cubs haven't specified when Stroman will make his first start after a six-week absence.