Today, the Chicago Cubs activated utility-man Javier Baez – still seems weird to call him that, but it’s accurate – from the disabled list after a successful and short rehab stint at AAA Iowa. That’s your happy news for the day.
Your less happy news is that Baez’s arrival means the departure of Munenori Kawasaki, who heads back to Iowa with a killer .500 batting average from his stay in the bigs (you know, 1 for 2). Baez is the superior player and comes with unrealized upside, but it’s still fun to have Kawasaki around. He’ll probably be back at some point – you just hope it isn’t because of a serious injury situation.
As for Baez, he is not starting today, but could see action at any point, given his versatility in the field, his baserunning ability, and the threat he poses at the plate.
I still remember the first time Javy Baez came up to join the Cubs. It was also against the Rockies, and he did this to win the game.
Hopefully Baez has a good long chance to stick on the roster, because, even with it’s already-impressive depth, he can be a game-changer. And he’s a heck of a lot of fun to watch.
Speaking of which, if you were wondering if he still has that prodigious power, here’s the homer he hit with the Iowa Cubs this week:
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