Nick

Madrigal

Madrigal hasn’t been able to make it back since he was hit by a pitch in his very first game for Triple-A Iowa on June 5. He struggled for the Cubs over the first two months, hitting .221/.280/.256 in 94 plate appearances, and it seems likely that he’ll be let go this winter.

It’s a tough break for Madrigal, who was playing in his first game back at Triple-A Iowa after being demoted earlier this week by the Cubs. The 27-year-old infielder is facing a lengthy absence.

Madrigal, 27, will head back to Triple-A with David Bote taking his place on the roster. The former top prospect has once again not been effective at the plate with a .221/.280/.256 slash line in 94 plate appearances thus far. He’ll likely be back on the roster at some point this summer, but fantasy managers can ignore him in all formats. Bummer.

Hoerner is going to miss a sixth straight game while recovering from tightness in his left hamstring. The 27-year-old is considered day-to-day, but a trip to the injured list can’t completely be ruled out. Nick Madrigal is the starting second baseman and will hit seventh against the Pirates on Sunday.

Madrigal will begin his second straight game on the bench after starting in the opener and going 1-for-3 with a double. Christopher Morel will play third base Sunday with Ian Happ lined up at DH and Mike Tauchman in as the left fielder. Madrigal’s inconsistent playing time and flawed skill set make him tough to consider as a viable fantasy option.

There were some questions whether Happ would be ready for Opening Day after dealing with a lingering left hamstring strain throughout spring training, but he’s ready. Here’s the full lineup that will face Rangers ace Nathan Eovaldi on Thursday evening: Happ LF, Seiya Suzuki RF, Cody Bellinger CF, Christopher Morel DH, Dansby Swanson SS, Michael Busch 1B, Nico Hoerner 2B, Nick Madrigal 3B and Yan Gomes C.

It doesn’t seem like there’s much concern from the Cubs. For the time being, the 27-year-old will remain sidelined, but the club will have Madrigal progress over the next week and see how he’s improved at that point.

No word yet on how long Madrigal figures to be sidelined after being removed from a Cactus League contest earlier this week. There should be some clarity on his status at some point in the next few days.

Morel played more third base than anything else in the minors, but he hasn’t looked very good there in 23 games as a major leaguer. Last year, he played the position just five times, even though it was an unsettled spot for most of the year. It’d be great for the Cubs if he proved adequate there, especially if it meant they could add J.D. Martinez or Joey Votto as a DH. It wouldn’t be great news for Nick Madrigal or Patrick Wisdom.

Madrigal had a down year in 2023, slashing .263/.311/.352 with two homers and ten stolen bases across 294 plate appearances. With Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson locked into jobs up the middle, Madrigal figured to enter spring in a battle with Christopher Morel for the 3B, but the Cubs just traded for Michael Busch on Thursday as well. While Busch can certainly first base, the majority of his experience comes at third and gives the Cubs some flexibility should they choose to try Morel at first or try to sign a free agent like Rhys Hoskins.