NEWSLETTER
There was no percentage proclamation, but I can only assume that, if Baez was at 100 percent after his hamstring cramp last week, and then 110 percent earlier this week, he’s gotta be up to at least 125 percent by now.
And for that reason, after taking batting practice, throwing, and running the bases, Baez is set to return to Cactus League play at soon as tomorrow or Saturday.
That’s what Baez told Cubs.com his hoped-for timeline was, and Joe Maddon concurred. If that’s when Baez gets back into action, he’ll have nearly a full two weeks of game play available before the start of the season. In that case, I think there would be no impact on his readiness, assuming he stays healthy from here on out.
Hopefully it actually plays out that way, and there are no recurrences of hamstring-related issues.
Fortunately, the Cubs are nicely protected at second base if Baez has to miss time, but given his impact ability in every phase of the game, there’s little question that the Cubs are at their best when Baez is available to play every day.
