Cubs activate catcher Welington Castillo from D.L., select infielder Luis Valbuena from Triple-A

The Chicago Cubs today activated catcher Welington Castillo from the 15-day disabled list and selected the contract of infielder Luis Valbuena from Triple-A Iowa.  In corresponding roster moves, infielder Ian Stewart was placed on the 15-day disabled list (retroactive to June 13) with left wrist soreness and catcher Koyie Hill was designated for assignment.

Castillo and Valbuena, who will wear uniform number 24, will be available for the Cubs this afternoon against the Detroit Tigers at Wrigley Field.

Valbuena, 26, was claimed off waivers by the Cubs on April 4 from the Toronto Blue Jays and was a member of Chicago's Opening Day roster.  He did not see action in a game before being assigned outright to Triple-A Iowa on April 7.  With Iowa, Valbuena is batting .303 (64-for-211) with 26 extra-base hits (17 doubles, one triple and eight home runs), 38 runs scored and 31 RBI in 58 games.  He has a .378 on-base percentage and a .507 slugging percentage to contribute to an .885 OPS.

The left-handed hitting, right-handed throwing Valbuena is a career .226 hitter (166-for-735) in all or part of four major league seasons with Seattle (2008) and Cleveland (2009-11).  The versatile infielder has seen major league playing time at second base (175 games), shortstop (35 games) and third base (10 games).  He has 42 doubles, 13 home runs and 57 RBI in 229 big league games.

With Cleveland's Triple-A Columbus affiliate last season, Valbuena batted .302 (127-for-420) with 22 doubles, 17 home runs and 75 RBI in 113 games.  He posted a .372 on-base percentage and a .476 slugging percentage, good for an .848 OPS.  He was a mid-season and post-season International League All-Star.

Castillo was hitting .185 (5-for-27) with two doubles and one home run in seven games with the Cubs this season before being placed on the disabled list with a sprained right knee on May 22.  Castillo began the season with Iowa and batted .320 (16-for-50) with four doubles, two home runs and eight RBI in 16 contests before his call-up to the Cubs on April 28.

The 25-year-old Castillo is a career .217 hitter (13-for-60) with six doubles, two home runs and nine RBI in 18 games covering parts of three big league seasons with the Cubs (2010-12).

Stewart is hitting .201 (36-for-179) with five doubles, two triples, five home runs and 17 RBI with the Cubs this season, seeing action in 55 of the club's first 62 games.

Hill batted .179 (7-for-39) with one double in 11 games with the Cubs this season, his second stint with the organization.  He was acquired from the Cincinnati Reds for a cash consideration on May 19.

Chicago's 40-man roster remains at 40 players.