The Cubs have scratched Javy Baez from tonight’s lineup with his ongoing heel contusion issue. Addison Russell will be manning shortstop tonight instead, and it’s not clear whether Baez will be available off the bench.
Maddon said he will check in with Baez later to see if he's available for pinch-hitting duties. An eventual (and brief) return to third base to protect his heel is possible.
— Mark Gonzales (@MDGonzales) June 1, 2019
Baez has been in a terrible slump since the injury first occurred a couple weeks ago (.205/.279/.385, 41.9% strikeout rate), which naturally makes you wonder if he should have just rested on the IL in the first place.
Hopefully over time Baez will feel better, but right now, the middle-ground approach has not yet yielded tremendous results.