NEWSLETTER
As reported this morning, Cubs outfield prospect Greg Deichmann (received in the Andrew Chafin deal with the A’s) is getting his call up to the big leagues. And to make room for him on the roster, the Cubs are sending Jason Heyward to the injured list.
#Cubs place Jason Heyward on 10-day IL (left index finger inflammation) and officially recall Greg Deichmann from Triple-A Iowa.
— Russell Dorsey (@Russ_Dorsey1) August 6, 2021
They’re calling it left index finger inflammation for Heyward, who’s missed each of the last two games. Heyward has been struggling offensively all season, and is having a worse year overall (63 wRC+) than his dreadful first season with the Cubs (72 wRC+). I have no clue, yet, what the future holds for Jason Heyward, but for now, he’s headed to the injured list. I suppose we’ll take it one step at a time.
In the meantime, I’m pretty excited to see Deichmann get a start. Here’s what Brett (and Bryan) had to say about him earlier today:
Deichmann, 26, was a primary piece in the Andrew Chafin trade with the A’s, and you can read much more about him here from Bryan. A big strong dude and a former top prospect out of LSU, Deichmann has dealt with injuries as he climbed the ladder, and has worked to improve the contact in his game (because the raw power is significant). He was barely striking out at an above-20% clip at Triple-A this year, split between the A’s and Cubs, so that’s definitely impressive. Now the power just needs to be added back in.
Given his age and the injuries, the prospect shine wore off a bit, but he’s been promoted at a steady pace, and it’s still on the table that he could emerge as a starting-caliber bat in the big leagues, even if being a 4th/rotational outfielder type is more likely. I’m really excited to see him get a look.
