The Cubs will activate veteran utilityman Ben Zobrist when active rosters expand on Sunday, Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com reports on Twitter. That’ll necessitate a 40-man roster move, as Zobrist has been on the restricted list.
Zobrist, 38, has been away from the Chicago organization since early May for personal reasons. He has slowly worked his way back into playing shape and game speed over recent weeks, playing a dozen rehab games while also spending stretches at home. It’s an unusual situation, but one that has unfolded with the blessings of the team.
When he returns, Zobrist will not only be looking to shake off the rust and re-adjust to the grind while entering a full-throated postseason race. He’ll also be looking to bounce back from a brutal stretch of play to open the season. Zobrist reached base at a .343 clip but managed only a single extra-base hit in 99 plate appearances. He hasn’t exactly shredded minor-league pitching on his rehab stint, slashing .189/.333/.405 in 45 trips to the plate.
Despite that tepid recent showing, skipper Joe Maddon says he won’t have any issue plugging Zobrist in at the top of the order. Zobrist surely won’t be thrown back into everyday duties, particularly with so many other mouths to feed in the Cubs position-player mix. But when he is written into the lineup, it makes sense that he’d be utilized at the top. Despite his recent power outage, Zobrist has walked more than he has struck out in his game action this season.
It’s unclear as yet how the Cubs will distribute playing time. David Bote just re-joined the roster. Presumably, Albert Almora and Daniel Descalso will as well in short order. Backstop Willson Contreras isn’t far behind. So long as the 40-man logistics and player expectations can be managed, that ought to leave Maddon with loads of options in any given game.
Is he postseason eligable? To my knowledge the player has to be on the 40 man by August 31 in order to qualify for postseason
Tomorrow is Aug 31st, so yes he would be eligible for the postseason roster if the Cubs make it
The article says he’s being activated Sunday though.
He’ll be added to the 40-man after tomorrow’s game (so that the corresponding DFA does not affect the game), but will not be added to the active roster until Sunday, when active rosters expand anyhow.
When the cubs make it .
Good Question. Someone might be getting DFA’D.
Taylor Davis will get DFA, he is the 4th catcher on the team and Likely clear wavier and be outrighted to Iowa
At minimum requirements, he just has to be in the org.
Yeah, I believe the 40 man requirement is no longer a thing.
Yes, it is. A player has to be on the 40 man by August 31st to be eligible for post season play.
Again this is the rule a lot of people overlook. At minimum he just has to be in the org. If he’s on the reserve list he’s eligible. Chances are if he’s not the 40 man there is a reason for it, but basically as long as he’s in the org, even if he’s not the 40 man, before September 1st a player is eligible. Granted there are more steps to it, like commissioner approval etc…, but players in the org are eligible.
“Per Major League Baseball’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, players must meet certain criteria in order to be eligible for postseason play.
Any player who is on the 40-man roster or 60-day injured list as of 11:59 p.m. ET on Aug. 31 is eligible for the postseason.”
This taken from MLB.com. http://m.mlb.com/glossary/transactions/postseason-roster-rules-eligibility
You also left the bottom portion of that out…
“Those on the restricted list at that point are also eligible if they haven’t been suspended for performance-enhancing drugs during that season. (All players who have served a suspension for PEDs in a given season are ineligible for postseason play that year.)
A player who doesn’t meet said criteria for postseason eligibility can still be added to a team’s roster in the postseason via petition to the Commissioner’s Office if the player was in the organization on Aug. 31 and is replacing someone who is on the injured list and has served the minimum amount of time required for activation.”
This taken from the same mlb glossary. So again the minimum is all that matters with the loophole.
In regards to his situation though, he’s still eligible even if he’s on the restricted list.
He played baseball for the cubs in April and May, so, yes, he’s eligible.
Please I beg you but no more Daniel Descalso…
Why give this guy another shot at all…
Bring up one one the younger ones…
Oh good lord he should have just retired. Just like Kimbrel he thinks he can miss basically the whole season and pick up right where he left off. If he thinks he is going to bat .350 the rest if the season he is mistaken.
He should have just retired because a divorce got in the way of his season? That doesn’t make much sense to me.
What about the situation does make sense to you? Human beings get divorced all the time and they usually aren’t so distressed they miss work for a year. I’m not judging, just saying it’s unusual.
Uhh, maybe because corporate interests rule the world and force people to work regardless and just “move on”. And honestly, if your wife left you and you were devastated you probably were not all that invested in your marriage to begin with. Grief and loss is not something that toxic masculinity can just magically fix. These people that feel the need to comment on the circumstances are downright fools.
Were not devastated *
It is a situation that we don’t see a lot at least in the media, but I’m sure it happens. If the divorce was a sudden thing and not something that has been building over the years, it could be more traumatic to someone. And he has missed 3-4 months, not a year
That’s because most people can’t take time off for a divorce. Simple.
Yes. Finding out your wife is having an affair when you’re actually a good, family man, is very shocking.
He has stated that he “knew for a period of time I need to fully put myself back in Nashville, back at home with my family doing everything I could to keep my family together”.
Is that hard to understand? A man trying to save his family over his MLB career?
Yeah I think I read that he expects to hit .350 and lead the team to the promised land. My God, wtf is wrong with you? Any baseball fan would love to see him end his career on a high note! For those (you) who are haters…just stay off the Cubs boards!
While i don’t really have anything negative to say about Zobrist coming back, it’s pretty childish of you to demand others stay off “Cubs boards”. This is an open site that covers all 30 MLB organizations. There isn’t a chance in hell that no team repped here won’t get trolls.
Get yourself some thicker internet skin.
The anti-Cubs comments here are really annoying, and thats coming from a non-cubs fan. obviously you cant just ban these people, but theres no reason anyone should bad-mouth Zo, even if they have the right to.
Yeah I really wish the site’s commenting leaned more into the intelligent baseball discussion sphere as opposed to the belligerent barroom trollery and bashing of teams/players that often happens here
Here here
Exactly right batty, even though they and their manager did invent baseball.
Jesus, an actual adult response. Thank you for the surprise.
he should retire when he wants too, just like any player. the question is always if a team should have signed a player, not that they wanted to keep playing.
Knock knock, 2016 Kyle Schwarber is here
Kimbrel last 8 appearances 6/6 in saves and 1.17 e.r.a.
I happen to like Kimberly but he has done little to inspire confidence. He may have gotten through those 6 relatively unscathed but it was not without the drama of walks and solid contact
Kimbrel… Apple still struggles with that one
He’s gonna retire after the season
Isn’t Tony Barnette still on the 40 man but hasn’t reported to the minors?
No, he’s on the restricted list like Zobrist. He’s not on the 40 man and will just disappear (he really already has) from the Cubs org at season’s end.
Barnette is also on the restricted list since he never reported to Iowa. I assume the only reason he hasn’t been released is because they don’t have to pay him while he’s on the restricted list, so they save on luxury tax penalties
I just want to know what his new walk-up song is going to be. Any suggestions for Ben?
“All Out of Love” by Air Supply.
Just kidding. Seems like a good guy.
Nah, it’s Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac.
Take these broken wings
The Elton John version of Bennie and the Jets …
What other version than the original is there?
The awful one his ex sang
I was only kidding – Weird Al
“You Don’t Love Me Anymore” by Weird Al
Both classics
What’s that Stones song on Sticky Fingers that mentions Pavlov’s dog? Oh, darn it! What’s it called again?
Or the one on Goats Head Soup? Ali McGraw? Steve McQueen? Help!
I’m dating myself here, but country music has a ton of good options to choose from. Jerry Reed’s song might be the best:
“She got the goldmine (I got the shaft)”
How bout Take this job and shove it!
Well the Cubs need to do something. That foolish trade for Castellanos, his defense is just killing them.
And they traded two future Cy Young winners for two months of him. This could end up biting them in the future.
My post was in jest to all the Castellanos nay sayers. Right now the Cubs have a guy who can hit. The Tigers return is no sure deal, the pitchers may never make it.
I’m not positive but I think he was playing on your sarcasm
I think your right! The guy is good.