Cubs striker Nick Madrigal broke his left hand while playing for Triple-A Iowa, reports Tommy Birch (X link). The previous pick of #4 was beaten by a Trey Wingenter voice last night.
Madrigal just arrived in Iowa over the weekend. The Cubs chose a player who struggles when he calls David Bote per week. Yesterday’s game was his first since he was given the job of his choice. It is not clear how long he will be sidelined, but that makes him unlikely to be called up any time soon. It’s the latest setback in a rough season for Chicago’s Opening Day third baseman.
In 94 plate appearances, Madrigal collected just three hits (all doubles). He had a .221/.280/.256 batting line that allowed it Christopher Morel jumping him onto the third base depth chart. Morel had an inconsistent season. He entered tonight’s game with a .203/.313/.387 slash over 252 plate appearances. Morel is still strong — he connected on his 12th game of the season — but he continues to struggle on the defensive end. The Cubs gave him 376 personal innings for third place. Both Defensive Runs Saved and Statcast have him eight runs below average with the glove.
Third base was an area the front office could look to improve at the deadline regardless of Madrigal’s health. The injury, however, affects Chicago’s outfield depth and is another obstacle for the 27-year-old as he tries to establish himself as an everyday player. Madrigal has yet to show that his contact-oriented approach offers enough ceiling to become mainstream. That’s especially true for a team that already has one Nico Hoerner at second base, which forced the Oregon State product into the left side of the infield.
Madrigal has appeared in 202 games since the Cubs acquired him from the White Sox in 2021. Craig Kimbrel deal. He owns a .251/.304/.312 line in 616 plate appearances. He is playing this season with a median salary of $1.81MM. The Cubs control Madrigal for two more years, but he may be headed for next non-tender season.
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