30 Alec Mills RP

Mills is well-positioned to break camp as Chicago's fifth starter after Jose Quintana underwent thumb surgery Thursday, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Colin Rea and Adbert Alzolay are also in the mix to fill in for Quintana -- who is unlikely to be ready for the start of the season -- though Mills appears to be the frontrunner. The 28-year-old Mills excelled in a swingman role for the Cubs in 2019, posting a 2.75 ERA and 42:11 K:BB across nine appearances (36 innings), including four starts.

Mills could work as the Cubs' sixth starter when the regular season is able to begin, Scot Gregor of the Chicago Daily Herald reports.

Before play was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, it looked like Tyler Chatwood would get the fifth spot in the rotation, with Mills serving as a long reliever. However, a shortened season with expanded rosters is now the likely route for MLB, and that could mean teams like the Cubs turn to six-man rotations, at least until their top five pitchers stretch out their arms more. Mills started four times for Chicago in 2019 and would make sense as a sixth starter if the team goes in that direction.

Mills will likely serve as the Cubs' long reliever when the regular season is able to begin, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Mills and Tyler Chatwood entered spring training as candidates for the team's fifth and final rotation spot, and Chatwood is the heavy favorite to win that job. That would shift Mills to long relief, though the role could hold more value this year than usual if the MLB calendar gets compacted and features more doubleheaders in an effort to squeeze in more games. In this scenario, bullpens will likely be used heavily, and someone like Mills could see a lot of action.

Mills added a slow curveball to his pitch mix last season and opposing batters hit just .143 against it, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Mills started working on a slow curve while with Triple-A Iowa last season. The pitch averaged just 67.6 mph, which was the lowest average velocity among pitchers who threw at least 50 curveballs in 2019. Because of his success with the pitch, expect Mills to use it heavily again in 2020. The righty is fighting for the Cubs' fifth rotation spot this spring, though he could end up as the team's long reliever.

Mills will start Saturday's Cactus League opener against the Athletics, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

Mills, Tyler Chatwood (shoulder) and Adbert Alzolay will start Chicago's first three games this spring. The 28-year-old Mills, who compiled a 2.75 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 42 strikeouts in 36 big-league innings last season, is expected to compete for the Cubs' final rotation spot during camp.

Mills allowed one run on five hits and two walks while striking out nine over five innings in a no-decision versus the Cardinals on Friday.

Only a Matt Carpenter solo shot damaged Mills' performance Friday. The right-hander will likely finish the year with a 2.75 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 42:11 K:BB in 36 innings over nine appearances (four starts). He posted a 1-0 record and notched one save.

Mills is set to start Friday against the Cardinals, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Yu Darvish and Kyle Hendricks were shut down for rest purposes, leaving Mills to get the ball for Friday's series opener. The right-hander has made eight appearances this season (three starts), notching a 2.90 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 33 strikeouts in 31 innings.

Mills tossed 4.2 scoreless innings while allowing two hits and two walks with six strikeouts during a no-decision against the Cardinals on Friday.

The Cubs couldn't have asked for much more from Mills, who learned Thursday he would be starting in place of Cole Hamels (shoulder). Mills tied a season high with 81 pitches and nearly made it through five scoreless, but the Cubs bullpen couldn't hold the lead. Mills remains 1-0 with a 2.90 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 33 strikeouts in 31 innings across eight appearances, including three starts.

Mills will start Friday in place of Cole Hamels, who was scratched with shoulder fatigue, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Mills has worked solely out of the bullpen since being recalled by the Cubs on Sept. 1, but he will get a chance to start Friday with Hamels unable to go. Mills has thrown the ball well this month, allowing just one earned run over six innings (1.50 ERA) while giving up just four hits and posting a 9:0 K:BB, but he has not thrown more than 40 pitches in any outing, so it remains to be seen how deep he will be able to go in Friday's contest.

Mills (1-0) picked up the win Monday against the Reds, tossing two scoreless innings in relief. He allowed one hit and struck out three.

Mills has given the Cubs some valuable innings lately and picked up a few milestones to boot, as he earned his first MLB save by covering three innings Friday. He followed that up by recording his first MLB win with his two scoreless innings Monday. With Chicago pushing for a playoff spot, Mills has been a solid contributor in September with just one earned run allowed across six innings to go with nine strikeouts.

Mills recorded the save in Friday's 18-7 win over the Pirates, tossing three innings of one-run ball. He allowed two hits while striking out four.

Mills had a comfortable lead to work with, but he looked sharp nonetheless and he efficiently worked through his three innings on 40 pitches (29 strikes), picking up his first MLB save and saving some other Chicago relievers from working in the process. The 27-year-old righty, who has been up and down from the minors this season, has a 3.70 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 24.1 innings at the MLB level this year.

Mills was recalled from Triple-A Iowa on Sunday.

Mills will join the Cubs as part of the September roster expansion. The 27-year-old performed well during his brief time in the majors this season with a 3.98 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 18:7 K:BB over 20.1 innings.

Mills was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Thursday, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Mills tossed a quality outing in relief of Cole Hamels on Wednesday, allowing three runs on four hits (two home runs) and two walks while striking out four across six innings. He now owns a 3.98 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 18:6 K:BB through 20.1 big-league innings this season. The Cubs will swap him out for a fresh bullpen arm in James Norwood.

Mills was recalled from Triple-A Iowa prior to Friday's game against the Reds, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

Kyle Ryan was placed on the bereavement list so the Cubs added a fresh arm to the bullpen. Mills has given up five runs in 10.1 innings this year and will offer some length in case any of the Cubs' starters get chased early this weekend.

Mills was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Mills surrendered two runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out five Monday night in the series opener, but he'll be sent down in order to get a fresh arm in Chicago's bullpen. Tim Collins was brought up to the big club in a corresponding move.

Mills didn't factor into the decision against the Giants on Monday, giving up two earned runs on seven hits over 4.1 innings, striking out five and walking one as the Cubs eventually fell 5-4.

Mills hurled a quality start in his first outing of the season against the Reds, but didn't fare quite as well this time, as he found himself unable to make it out of the fifth inning before departing the contest after tossing 76 pitches. Still, the 27-year-old has held his own over his two outings, so he could see at least one more turn in the rotation, as the Cubs still need an extra arm with Cole Hamels (oblique) on the injured list.

Mills will start Monday on the road against the Giants, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

With Cole Hamels (oblique) only throwing bullpen sessions in his recovery process, Mills will retain his spot in the starting rotation for at least one more turn. In the right-hander's first major-league start of 2019 against the Reds, he allowed three runs off five hits and one walk while recording six strikeouts in six innings. The Cubs considered going with a four-man rotation given their pattern of off days in the near future, but ultimately decided they had enough confidence in Mills to give him at least one more start, according to Tony Andracki of NBC Sports Chicago.

Mills didn't factor into the decision in Tuesday's 4-3 extra-inning win over the Reds, giving up three runs on five hits and a walk over six innings while striking out six.

Cincinnati jumped on him for three runs in the first inning, but Mills settled down after that and came through with the first quality start of his brief big-league career. The right-hander may have earned a longer stay in the rotation with the performance, as Cole Hamels (oblique) still has no timetable for his return.

Mills was recalled as expected ahead of his scheduled start Tuesday against the Reds.

Mills threw 18 innings for the Cubs last season, posting a 4.00 ERA and 23:7 K:BB. His 4.73 ERA in 80 innings for Triple-A Iowa isn't particularly impressive, however.

Mills will be recalled to start Tuesday against Cincinnati, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

Starts are available in the Cubs' rotation with Cole Hamels out with an oblique strain. Mills doesn't appear to be a particularly exciting option, as he's recorded a mediocre 4.73 ERA in 80 innings for Triple-A Iowa this season.