Cubs place right-hander Javier Assad on 15-day injured list due to a right forearm strain

(670 The Score) The Cubs have placed right-hander Javier Assad on the 15-day injured list due to a right forearm extensor strain, the team announced Thursday.

In other moves, Chicago also officially announced it had signed reliever Vinny Nittoli and also transferred reliever Yency Almonte from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list.

Assad’s placement on the injured list is retroactive to Monday. Assad is in the midst of a strong season but had struggled recently. He was hit hard in suffering a loss to the Mets on Sunday, when he went 4 1/3 innings and allowed four runs, all earned, and two homers. He has a 5.49 ERA in his past four starts.

Assad is 4-3 with a 3.04 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in 83 innings across 16 starts this season.

Almonte has been out since May 7 due to a right shoulder strain, and the progress in his rehab and recovery process recently stalled, leaving him and the Cubs to search for answers regarding his health. There’s no timeline for his return to action. Almonte has a 3.45 ERA in 17 appearances this season.

The Cubs have lost four straight games to drop to 37-44. They’ll wrap up a series against the Giants in San Francisco on Thursday afternoon. First pitch is set for 2:45 p.m. CT. The game can be heard on 670 The Score or by downloading the Audacy app.