Cubs DFA veteran reliever Joe Nathan

Joe Nathan's tenure with the Chicago Cubs has come to an end, the club announced after Friday's game.

Nathan, 41, was designated for assignment to make room on the active roster for Jorge Soler, who homered in his first at-bat since returning from the disabled list Friday.

The bullpen additions of Aroldis Chapman and Mike Montgomery left the recently acquired Nathan as the odd man out, Cubs manager Joe Maddon told reporters, according to ESPN's Jesse Rogers.

"He needed more time," Maddon said. "We had so many other people to get involved. It just didn't work out immediately in a sense."

The veteran reliever returned from his second elbow surgery in May, allowing two hits and no runs in three appearances with the Cubs.