KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals announced today they have claimed left-handed pitcher Luke Little off waivers from the Cubs and optioned him to Triple-A Omaha. Little was designated for assignment on Monday.
To make room on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher Luinder Avila was transferred to the 60-day Injured List.
Little, 25, had just one stint in the Majors this season, from April 14-22, during which he appeared in 1 game with the Cubs on April 15 in Philadelphia.
Since the start of 2025, he’s made only 3 Major League relief outings, after setting career highs in 2024 in appearances (30 games, 1 start), innings pitched (26.0) and strikeouts (28). He earned a spot on Chicago’s Opening Day roster in 2024 after making his big league debut on Sept. 6, 2023.
In 31 appearances in the minors this season with Double-A Knoxville (14 G) and Triple-A Iowa (17), he went 8-0 with a 5.03 ERA (22 ER in 39.1 IP) and 44 strikeouts (10.1 K/9). His 8 wins in relief are tied for the 3rd most in all of Minor League Baseball this year.