Cubs activate right-handed pitcher Hector Rondon and select the contract of catcher Eli Whiteside

The Chicago Cubs have activated right-handed pitcher Hector Rondon from the paternity list and selected the contract of catcher Eli Whiteside from Triple-A Iowa. Right-handed pitcher Jose Veras has been designated for assignment and catcher Welington Castillo has been placed on the 15-day disabled list (retro June 2) with left rib cage inflammation.

Both Rondon and Whiteside, who will wear uniform number 32, will be available for the Cubs tonight against the New York Mets at Wrigley Field.

Rondon, 26, is 0-1 with six saves and a 1.59 ERA (4 ER/22.2 IP) in 22 relief appearances for the Cubs this season, walking eight and striking out 25. He has limited opponents to a .193 batting average, a .264 on-base percentage and a .229 slugging percentage, good for a .493 OPS against, the 10th lowest OPS against among relievers in the National League with more than 20 appearances.

Whiteside, 34, joins the Cubs for the first time after signing a minor league deal with the club this past offseason. He has played all or part of five big league seasons with Baltimore (2005) and San Francisco (2009-12), including full seasons with the Giants in 2010 and 2011. Whiteside is a career .215 hitter (105-for-489) with 21 doubles, 10 home runs and 43 RBI in 208 major league games. He won World Series rings with the Giants in 2010 and 2012 and caught Jonathan Sanchez's no-hitter on July 10, 2009 vs. San Diego.

The right-handed hitting Whiteside returns to the big leagues for the first time since 2012. He spent the 2013 with Triple-A Round Rock. In 33 games with Iowa this year, Whiteside is batting .171 (18-for-105) with four doubles, three home runs and 13 RBI.

Veras went 0-1 with an 8.10 ERA (12 ER/13.1 IP) in 12 relief appearances for the Cubs this season.

Castillo is hitting .242 (39-for-161) with eight doubles, five home runs and 21 RBI in 43 games with the Cubs this season.