The 27-year-old hurler was released last weekend after being designated for assignment, but he has decided that a reunion with the Cubs made the most sense. Kilian will continue to function as extra rotation depth at Triple-A Iowa for the time being.

Kilian was jettisoned from Chicago’s 40-man roster earlier this week and passed through waivers unclaimed. The 27-year-old righty will head to free agency in search of a new opportunity. He’s made eight appearances (five starts) in the majors since the outset of the 2022 campaign.

The Cubs needed to clear a spot on their 40-man roster following the acquisition of Tom Cosgrove on Thursday and unfortunately Kilian drew the short straw this time around. The 27-year-old hurler was blasted in his only start at Triple-A Iowa this season, giving up six runs on six hits in just 2 1/3 innings.

Kilian got the nod after Shota Imanaga was scratched. Kilian had previously been 0-4 with an 11.28 ERA as a major leaguer since debuting in 2022, but he pulled that ERA down to 9.22 today. The arm is there for him to contribute next year, whether it’s at the back of the rotation or as a middle reliever, but the Cubs will hope he’s subject to a fourth option year after missing much of this season. If that doesn’t happen, he’ll be out of options next spring.