Top Chicago Cubs prospect Javier Baez has been out of action for almost 10 days now with a sprained ankle, which could have been much worse. He was eligible to come off of the DL on Friday, but wasn’t quite ready. The good news, though, was that he had started running, and looked healthy to outside observers on Friday and Saturday.
And now, Tommy Birch reports that we could see Baez come off of the DL as soon as today.
“If [Baez] comes in tomorrow [Sunday] and is not sore, then I’m planning on DH’ing [him],” Iowa manager Marty Pevey told Birch of the Des Moines Register. Even knowing that he’s this close to returning – even if he doesn’t wind up playing today – is a good sign for Baez. Hopefully he used the week off to rest, re-focus, and come back with the kind of approach that turned him into the ultra-mega-elite prospect he’s become.
On the season, Baez is hitting just .154/.214/.423 in his first go-around at AAA, but it’s just 28 plate appearances, and he’s the youngest player in the league. Also, according to eye witness reports (and my memory), he missed three additional homers in the week before his injury by a combined 20 or so feet. If those go out, his early-season line goes from “aw, man” to “OH, MAN!”
The Iowa Cubs play in the early afternoon today, so it won’t be long before we hear whether Baez is starting.
UPDATE: The lineup is out, and Baez is indeed scheduled to play. He’s DH’ing and batting third.