Cubs roster moves shore up bullpen before series finale against the Diamondbacks

PHOENIX — The Cubs made a series of roster moves to shore up their bullpen depth Wednesday after playing back-to-back games that went into extra innings.

The team announced it optioned right-hander Daniel Palencia and left-hander Luke Little to Triple-A Iowa, recalled right-hander Hayden Wesneski from Iowa and selected the contract of right-hander Colten Brewer from Iowa. To make room on the 40-man roster for Brewer, the Cubs transferred right-hander Julian Merryweather (stress fracture in rib) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL.

‘‘We just need innings for the game today,’’ manager Craig Counsell said before the Cubs’ 5-3 victory against the Diamondbacks. ‘‘Both teams, you saw, are making moves. So we have to have able pitchers today and, really, just through the weekend here.’’

The Cubs also are expected to activate right-handed starter Jameson Taillon (strained back) from the 15-day IL on Thursday and make a corresponding move.

Closer Adbert Alzolay, setup man Hector Neris, high-leverage reliever Mark Leiter Jr. and middle-inning reliever Yency Almonte all had pitched in three of the Cubs’ last four games. Multi-inning reliever Keegan Thompson threw 29 pitches in two high-stress innings Monday. Veteran left-hander Drew Smyly’s brief appearance Tuesday was his second outing in as many nights.

So it was important for the Cubs to bring up a couple of pitchers who could give much of the rest of the bullpen a bit of a break.

‘‘For these guys at Triple-A, when you come up, you’ve got to be ready to do whatever,’’ Counsell said. ‘‘We’ve asked Ben Brown to do that. It’s the same thing we’re going to ask Hayden to do. It’s really [to] get outs; it’s not labeling [them] a starter or reliever.’’

Wesneski was competing for an Opening Day roster spot late into spring training, first as a starter and then as a reliever. He went to Iowa to get stretched out to a starter’s workload and had a 2.53 ERA in three outings, most recently throwing 4⅓ scoreless innings out of the bullpen Friday.

On Wednesday, running on little sleep because of an early-morning flight, Wesneski held the Diamondbacks to one hit in four innings of relief.

‘‘I thought it was probably our best pitching performance of the year, considering everything,’’ Counsell said, ‘‘Just the combination of the pitches and the intensity and the travel and the lack of sleep. But he delivered a performance that we needed.’’

Brewer, 31, joined the Cubs this offseason on a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training. He has a little more than two years of major-league service time spread across three organizations — Padres, Red Sox and Yankees — and five seasons.

‘‘We signed Colten with major-league experience and good stuff, really, and [we’ve been] impressed with his stuff,’’ Counsell said. ‘‘And he’s continued to pitch well in Iowa. I think he made a really good impression in spring training. So he was, for the non-roster players, definitely somebody that we knew at some point would get here.’’

Mastrobuoni in left

Giving left fielder Ian Happ a half-day, of sorts, Counsell used him at designated hitter Wednesday and started utility player Miles Mastrobuoni in left. It was Mastrobuoni’s first regular-season game in the outfield since last May.

‘‘Nothing’s changed,’’ Mastrobuoni told the Sun-Times of his preparation for the game. ‘‘I’ve been taking reads out in the outfield pretty much every day during BP.’’

Injury update

Pitching prospect Kohl Franklin (right elbow) saw orthopedic surgeon Keith Meister on Tuesday, the Cubs said. They’re continuing to evaluate next steps.

Franklin left his debut at Iowa in the third inning Saturday, clutching his arm after throwing a pitch.