David Bote’s ankle issue – the one caused by him slipping on a disguised baseball during batting practice – wound up being not bad at all.
He’s already on his way back:
Cubs moves:
• David Bote activated from 10-day IL
• Andrew Romine DFA’d— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) September 6, 2021
Bote will rotate into the mix at second base and maybe a little third base the rest of the way, trying to finish strong on a year that not only featured multiple injuries, but once again saw him do that weird thing he does (hit the ball as hard as anyone and not get results). It’s unlikely the Cubs will let Bote go after the season – he is owed $12 million over the next three years – but it would be nice to have more confidence that, at a minimum, he can still be a solid bench guy.
Bote takes the place of Andrew Romine, who was a nice story as a veteran getting another shot in the big leagues (with his brother), but after that three-run homer against Craig Kimbrel, it’s all been downhill at the plate and in the field. Romine, 36 in December, will likely try to land another minor league deal over the course of the offseason, and then make his way onto a big league roster at some point during the 2022 season. I’m not sure if he’ll find that opportunity or not.