NEWSLETTER
I look forward to a multi-day stretch where I don’t have any significant Cubs injuries to update …
The good news on Matt Duffy is that we finally have a sense of what he’s been dealing with and what the timeline looks like, but the less good news is that it’s still going to be several weeks before he’s back, assuming all goes well:
Cubs 3B Matt Duffy‘s goal is to return around All-Star break from bulging disk issue in lower back as he starts to build up baseball activities again: “I was trying to rush it too quick & probably not being honest with myself with how I was feeling exactly”https://t.co/aqibzcGXwb
— Meghan Montemurro (@M_Montemurro) June 27, 2021
The Cubs’ lineup could obviously really use a healthy and effective bat like Duffy’s right about now, but it’ll be a few weeks yet. Your best-case-scenario is that he’s back right after the All-Star break, and demonstrates either that he’s good to go or not, because then the Cubs would be better able to evaluate whether they want to add another high-contact bat at the deadline.
Speaking of high-contact bats nearing a return, Nico Hoerner’s rehab assignment begins in about an hour:
Nico Hoerner has arrived at Principal Park and is taking some grounders at 2B right now. pic.twitter.com/XUA9CorfPU
— Tommy Birch (@TommyBirch) June 27, 2021
Nico Hoerner gets some hacks in. pic.twitter.com/LByyn7WjT1
— Tommy Birch (@TommyBirch) June 27, 2021
Trevor Williams and Justin Steele are scheduled to join Hoerner in rehab appearances today with Iowa.
In not-so-good news, catcher P.J. Higgins is undergoing Tommy John surgery after further testing on his elbow revealed a torn UCL. That dreaded “forearm injury” + “quickly moved to 60-day IL” combo is the worst. Hopefully Higgins can be back by early next year (it’s a slightly quicker recovery for positional guys), but obviously his future was already an open question. Ditto the Cubs’ whole back-up catcher situation.
Speaking of injured Cubs catchers, we finally know the injury that’s kept catching prospect Miguel Amaya out since June 3 – it’s also a forearm strain (NBC). So, yikes. He is currently rehabbing, though it’s not clear when he’ll get back into game action. It really sucks, because he was looking so good in winter ball and primed for an offensive breakout this year at Double-A.
Meanwhile, Dillon Maples got his rehab assignment started yesterday with a clean, two-strikeout inning at Iowa. I don’t know how long he’ll be there (triceps), but I expect the Cubs are half ensuring his health, and half coordinating the bullpen/roster (Maples has no minor league options remaining).
