The Cubs announced this afternoon that infielder Jeimer Candelario has been activated from the 10-day injured list. Infielder Jared Young was optioned to Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move.
The return of Candelario, 29, should provide the Cubs with a boost for the final five games of the 2023 regular season, all of which could prove crucial for Chicago. Entering play today, the Cubs hold just a half-game lead over the Marlins and a 1.5-game lead over the Reds for the final NL Wild Card spot. Candelario was Chicago’s big splash at the trade deadline this year, as they shipped a pair of prospects to the Nationals in lefty D.J. Herz and shortstop Kevin Made to land the infielder’s services.
At the time of the trade, Candelario was slashing an impressive .258/.342/.481 in 419 trips to the plate with 30 doubles and 16 homers. He got off to a hot start in Chicago with a .305/.370/.524 slash line in his first 92 trips to the plate with the club, though he entered a brutal slump for his final 13 games prior to hitting the shelf with a .083/.227/.278 line across 44 trips to the plate. Adding the bat Candelario flashed at the start of his time with the Cubs this year, or even the production from his stint with the Nationals earlier this year, would provide a huge boost to a Cubs lineup that has been forced to rely on depth options like Miles Mastrobuoni, Nick Madrigal, and Patrick Wisdom in his absence.
Making room for Candelario on the active roster is Young, who has looked like a roughly league-average corner bat during his limited time in the big leagues. In 21 games (65 plate appearances) across the 2022 and 2023 campaigns, the 27-year-old rookie owns a .224/.308/.466 slash line with a 29.2% strikeout rate. In addition to those solid small-sample numbers in the big leagues, Young has torn the cover off the ball at the Triple-A level this year with a fantastic .310/.417/.577 slash line in 376 trips to the plate while playing all four corners.
Candelario may not be the only key Cubs piece returning this week, as right-hander Adbert Alzolay told reporters (including Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune) that his live bullpen session today went well and that he’s hopeful he’ll be able to return for the final series of the regular season in Milwaukee, which begins on Friday. The return of Alzolay could have an even bigger impact for Chicago than Candelario, as the club’s fWAR out of the bullpen (-0.2) since losing Alzolay to the injured list with a forearm strain earlier this month is bottom three in the majors. Alzolay has excelled in 2023 while stepping into the closer role, racking up 22 saves while posting a 2.71 ERA and 3.00 FIP in 63 innings of work.
The Cubs will need all the help they can get. 5 games to go and each one matters. It’s crazy the Cubs run differential is +100, the Marlins is -51 and the Reds -44, yet they all essentially have the same record. A combo of feast or famine offense and questionable managerial moves have the Cubs in this position, rather than 90 wins. That baffles me…
David Ross has made one boneheaded decision after another. That’s what it comes down to. I don’t think that guy can manage baggage. Let alone people. Let alone professional baseball players.
Ross is willing to lose with veterans as opposed to trying to win with rookies.
I like Mastrobuoni just fine but let’s be honest, the line up is best with Bellinger at first, Candalario at third and PCA in center. Also, when is the last time Ross called on Little? The Braves have never seen Little and yet he goes back with guys the Braves saw the night before?
I couldn’t agree more on Ross. Of course Jed extended him last offseason so they’ll be stuck with his ‘learning curve’ for another season. I really don’t think Hoyer has the nads or the no how to restart with someone better.
The games the Cubs (Ross) gave away through the middle of June by continuing to pencil in Mancini and Hosmer into the lineup, is the reason their record doesn’t match what the run differential says it should be.
Eventually Ross had no choice but to use Assad and later Wicks in the rotation because of how bad Smyly and Taillon continually got beat up – and Hendricks was injured.
But as far as position players go, Ross only used Mervis for a month – and when Mervis struggled, he was sent down and never given another opportunity- even when he started hitting well again in Iowa.
Nelson Velazquez and Alex Canario both sat on the bench, day after day. Even after Velasquez hit a GS to win a game, Ross rarely used him in a game. Now Velazquez is averaging 1 HR every 10 ABs for the Royals.
Now that PCA has been called up, Ross uses him as a pinch runner- and if his turn at bat comes around – Ross has him bunt, more often than not.
Ross is a disaster as a manager. He has no clue how to use young players in a way that benefits their development. And the Cubs have a ton of young talent about to get to Chicago.
Sounds like with a manager like that, they won’t be long for the playoffs?
Yall loved him cup bumping in 2016 though? Lol virtually the age to retire and was cup bumping to celebrate a homerun? There the maturity level right there? Wonder if he motivates his players that way? Sees a young lady in Walmart and sticks out his mid section and says “give me five” and she runs away screaming
Brutal loss to the Braves last night. Candelario isn’t gonna make that much of a difference right now. Morel did everything in his place, plus, scoring runs hasn’t been a real problem all year.
Cubbies need to win all four remaining games IMHO to get into the October dance-a-thon. I know anything can happen if you get in. My Phillies were last year’s lowest seed but made it all the way to Game 6 of the WS before the clock struck midnight for them.
Cubs are nowhere near as talented as the ’22 Phillies, thus I expect a hasty exit even if they do get into the playoffs.
The Cubs at full strength are as talented as the Phillies, however, Ross is basically Girardi as far as game management is concerned.
And the Cubs probably win these first two games if Alzolay and Fulmer were healthy… and if Ross didn’t ride Leiter so hard all season.
drascoo, that’s a little drastic, isn’t it? Cubs are nowhere near as talented as the Phillies. Not in ’22, and certainly not this year.
Go position by position, and my Phillies rule.
C Reamuto better than Gomes
1B Harper better than Bellinger
2B Calling Stott and Hoerner a draw. Both are very good.
SS Loved Dansby when he was a Brave, but I take Trea Turner all day.
3B Bohm better thah Candelaria, Wisdom, Morel or Madrigal
LF Love Schwarber’s pop and OBP over Happ
RF I like Suzuki over Castellanos mostly because of added defense. That, and Suzuki has been red hot for six weeks and I expect you’ll see even better from him in 2024.
CF John Rojas is a comer, but I’ll cede CF to you until I see more of Rojas.
Bullpen: Not even close. Phillies rule here.
Rotation: After Steele, you have a lot of question marks. We’re five deep and all five are consistently decent to excellent.
Manager: Watching a plant wilt is more exciting than listening to Rob Thomson. But ever since he replaced Girardi, the Phillies have excelled. Haven’t seen nor read enough about Ross to form an opinion. However, there are a lot of posters on this forum who appear to be not too happy with Ross.
I rest my case, and hopefully yours, as well!
Well I was referring to the 22 Phillies, as your post was referring to the 22 Phillies and to go position by position in WAR:
Happ over Schwarber
Suzuki over Castellanos
Bellinger over garbage cf
Swanson over nothing factor ss
Hoerner over Stott
Cubs have gotten nothing out of their corner infielders, really. Even Candalario has disappointed. Gomes value is his rotation management, Realmuto and Harper there win out but I do love Gomes as a receiver.
The Phillies had an edge, imo, over the Cubs rotation and bullpen. Although in a short series, or even a long one Steele, Stroman, Hendricks is a solid 1-3
Hoyer and Ross screwed the Cubs. Little should have been up sooner and Brown should have been called up prior to the trade deadline.