Cubs Claim LHP Mike Kickham from San Francisco

CHICAGO - The Chicago Cubs today claimed left-handed pitcher Mike Kickham off waivers from San Francisco. Additionally, catcher Ryan Lavarnway was claimed off waivers by Baltimore and first baseman Shane Peterson was claimed by Milwaukee.

Kickham, 26, is 31-35 with a 3.97 ERA (231 ER/523.2 IP) in 99 career minor league games, all but four as a starter, since he was selected by the Giants in the sixth round of the 2010 Draft out of Missouri State University. He has struck out 464 batters, good for an average of 8.0 strikeouts per 9.0 innings, while having allowed 227 walks.

Kickham spent the majority of 2014 with Triple-A Fresno, going 8-8 with a 4.43 ERA (73 ER/148.1 IP) in 27 starts, including a 12-start stretch in which he went 6-0 with a 2.74 ERA (21 ER/69.0 IP) from May 25-July 24. His 131 strikeouts ranked fourth in the Pacific Coast League, and he went 95.0-consecutive innings from May 20-August 21 without allowing home run.

The 6-foot, 4-inch, 220-pound Kickham was 7-7 with a 4.31 ERA (53 ER/110.2 IP) in 20 starts for Fresno in 2013, a season after setting career-highs in wins (11) and ERA (3.05) while being named to the Eastern League post-season All-Star team with Double-A Richmond in 2012.

Kickham made his major league debut with the Giants in 2013, and has pitched in 14 games (three starts) in parts of the last two seasons for San Francisco, going 0-3 with a 10.98 ERA (37 ER/30.1 IP).

Lavarnway, 27, was claimed off waivers by Chicago from Boston, December 19. Peterson, 26, was claimed off waivers from Oakland the same day.