Cubs activate OF Denorfia off DL, option OF Szczur to Triple-A Iowa

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Chicago Cubs today activated outfielder Chris Denorfia off of the 15-day disabled list. Outfielder Matt Szczur has been optioned to Triple-A Iowa.

Denorfia will be available for the Cubs this afternoon against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park.

The 34-year-old Denorfia is hitting .429 (9-for-21) with the Cubs this season but has been limited to 12 games due to a pair of stints on the disabled list for a left hamstring strain. Denorfia opened the season on the D.L. and was activated on April 17 only to return on May 5. He played two rehab games with Double-A Tennessee as part of his return this time, going 2-for-9 with two doubles and two RBI. With the Cubs this season, Denorfia has made three starts in left field and one start in right field, and has gone 4-for-6 as a pinch-hitter.

Overall, Denorfia is a career .273 hitter (539-for-1,971) in 717 games covering all or part of 10 seasons with Cincinnati (2005-06), Oakland (2008-09), San Diego (2010-14), Seattle (2014) and the Cubs (2015). He has averaged 21 doubles, four triples, nine homers and 13 stolen bases per 162 games played while turning in a career .333 on-base percentage and a .395 slugging. The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder split the 2014 campaign between San Diego and Seattle and combined to bat .230 (76-for-330) with 12 doubles and three homers in 121 games.

Szczur, 25, is batting .167 (6-for-36) with two doubles in 23 games for the Cubs this season. With Iowa, Szczur has batted .330 (29-for-88) with three doubles, two triples, four home runs and 14 RBI in 24 games year.