Cubs infielder Nick Madrigal suffered a fracture in his left hand while playing for Triple-A Iowa, reports Tommy Birch (X link). The former #4 overall pick was hit by a Trey Wingenter pitch last night.
Madrigal just got to Iowa over the weekend. The Cubs optioned the struggling infielder when they called up David Bote on Sunday. Yesterday’s game was his first since the optional assignment. It’s not clear how long he’ll be out of action, but that obviously takes him out of consideration to be called back up in the short term. It’s the latest setback in a difficult season for Chicago’s Opening Day third baseman.
In 94 plate appearances, Madrigal collected just three extra-base hits (all doubles). He had a .221/.280/.256 batting line that allowed Christopher Morel to jump him on the third base depth chart. Morel has had an inconsistent season himself. He entered tonight’s game with a .203/.313/.387 slash over 252 plate appearances. Morel has hit for power — he connected on his 12th homer of the season this evening — but he continues to struggle on the defensive side. The Cubs have given him a personal-high 376 innings at third base. Both Defensive Runs Saved and Statcast have graded him eight runs below average with the glove.
Third base was an area the front office could look to upgrade at the deadline regardless of Madrigal’s health status. The injury is nevertheless a hit to Chicago’s infield depth and another impediment 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 provides enough of a ceiling to be a regular. That’s particularly true on a team that already has Nico Hoerner at second base, which forced the Oregon State product to the left side of the infield.
Madrigal has appeared in 202 games since the Cubs acquired him from the White Sox in the 2021 Craig Kimbrel deal. He carries a .251/.304/.312 line in 616 plate appearances. He’s playing this season on a $1.81MM arbitration salary. The Cubs control Madrigal for another two years, but he could be trending towards a non-tender next offseason.
Looked promising when first brought up by White Sox. Pretty much stunk it up on the North side.
Pete: He was our second baseman of the future but after he injured his leg the Sox wanted no part of him. He was used in a trade for one of the worst RP the Sox ever had.
We got hoerner and he just became some kind of prove-it prospect for hoyer. Unfortunately he’s always sucked.
Not sure what hurts more, a broken hand, or losing your roster spot to David Bote.
Cubs team right now, is hurting more than Madrigals hand. Even with his broken hand, I doubt he can hit worse than Dansby Swanson. And we got our SS for ‘only 5 more years, at only $25M per’. Ouch.
I wish people would do a little research before they posted, then they would know that Swanson is a notorious slow starter, having a career OPS in the .600 range the first month of the season. They would also know Swanson has hit .270+ and an OPS of over .800 this past week. Also, if they just did a bit of research, they would have also known Madrigal, this season, has hit far worse than Swanson.
Drasco, how you doin buddy?
Maybe you still want Hosmer on the team – because he was the ‘first one to jump over the dugout rail, to congratulate someone’? Lol.
I believe Swanson on the wrong side of 30, and is beginning to show. He’s no bargain.
“Wrong side of 30” is as dumb as the term “aging”.
No player that is any good as has reached free agency is a “bargain”.
I’m glad for you that the Cubs are losing, it allows you to be the little cry baby you were born to be.
Didn’t Swanson start hot last year and fade towards the end of the year? I’m not saying you’re wrong historically.
It’s not like he doesn’t have down years.
No. Swanson walked a lot to start last season but only slugged .347.
Madrigal and Dansby are not in the same conversation or universe when it comes to baseball. Madrigal can’t hit, defend, run or do anything on a ball field the way the way Dansby can.
It’s so simple to live in the moment when someone is struggling.
Dansby…$25 M steep? But, not my money, nor my decision. Sure……but of that free agent class he certainly was the best last season.
I will give him the benefit of the doubt on the knee and hope he gets to 100% and goes back to what he did last year,
Mike, in no way am I implying Madrigal is anything close to Swanson. I’m only saying that Swanson is a waste of $25M for the next 5 years.
Look at all the young first, second year SSs around baseball – who’d the Cubs would jump at trading Swanson now – to get out of this contract albatross.
Troll
Hopefully, for the Cubs sake. Dansby Swanson is not the next Jason Heyward.
Sorry to hear about Nick “Nicky Dimes” Madrigal. Never like to see players with an injury. Hopefully he’s able to fully recover.
Madrigal isnt half the player Bote is
That’s not entirely fair. He’s more like 72%
By height maybe.
Bote has been better than him for years. FO just felt some kinda need to prove that wrong. Madrigal is the least impactful hitter in mlb for YEARS.
Before the Cubs can even talk about upgrading anything they need to start clearing out some 40 man spots. Hopefully this puts Madrigal on the 60 day which opens up 1. Bote and Hendricks can be DFA’s anytime now and Vasquez can come back up and at least play some 3B. Wicks and Busch go to Iowa and Caissie comes up and takes a 40 man spot. Bring up whichever reliever Du Juor you want for Hendricks. it doesn’t even matter which one. Wisdom can play some 1B but not a lot I hope. As soon as I saw Hendricks in tonight’s game I turned it off.
It would be nice if Vazquez was playing 3B every day in Iowa now that Madrigal, Bote, and Slaughter are all out of the way for a while.
Vasquez has played 2B, 3B and SS. He’ll be fine defensively wherever you put him. The question is whether he can hit but you have to give him some decent AB’s to find out. Getting rid of Madrigal, Hendrick’s and Bote off the 40 opens up 3 spots. You only need two to add Caissie and Edwards Jr.. Then you still have 1 left for a deal. It’s time we find out out. This is turning into 1 step forward 2 steps back. Change the dance tune however you can.
Caissie has no place to play at the moment unless you want to see Happ playing center field again.
I’m definitely not against getting Caissie up but I don’t see a path for him to get at bats. Morel needs to take over the DH position sooner rather than later because his defense is atrocious. Busch needs to play first so we can figure out if he is our future there. Happ is hitting well now that he is healthy. Suzuki has gotten his groove back as well and is murdering the baseball. The Cubs are already taking at bats away from Busch to try to work in PCA and Tauchman.
I do agree on designating Hendricks and Bote. I’d go ahead and add Mastrobuoni to the list as well. Madrigal is now on the IL and I’m pretty sure you cannot DFA a guy on the IL. Once he comes back, given him at bats in AAA and see if any team wants to take a flier on him.
Other guys on the 40 man who should be looked at being traded: Davis, Canario, Mervis (DFA) and Palencia seems destined for the 60 day IL. Edward’s should be re-signed to a split contract.
Caissie takes Tauchman’s spot. I think the Cubs could move Tauchman for something. His value will never be higher IMO. Madrigal on the 60 day takes him off the 40 man. No need to DFA him until he comes back. And as for Hodge, You can’t say I didn’t warn everybody. One bad call and he lost his mind. But that’s why they should of been giving these guys experience the last few years but Ross would have never pitched them. So now we have to let them get it now. And Tauchman isn’t really the future now is he? Like it or not, Give the kids a chance now. Lets do the right thing for a change. We need to know who can play before this off season when they’ll have money to spend but shouldn’t have to.
I’m fine with trading Tauchman but I think I’d rather have PCA in triple A until we get a read on Busch.
As much as I like Tauchman, I feel Nico is the better leadoff hitter and just because Nico has been a little banged up this season, it shouldn’t discount what he did last year. Let him lead off and let him run wild on the bases.
Slaughter’s gone so no one standing in the way.
Hendricks get Traded before DFA
LMAO. For what? Who’s going to take on the rest of 16 million bucks? Stop it. You’re scaring me.
Who on God’s green earth would trade for Kyle Hendricks now? I am a huge fan of the man, but he’s toast. It is LITERALLY painful to watch him pitch this season.
Someone who thinks they can fix him. Let them think that. Maybe they can.
Man service time accumulation takes a 2024 hit…..
The craziest thing to me is just how much this team is mirroring last years version.
Last year the Cubs started hot, lost a few games because of the bullpen, offense was good, road amazing starts by Steele and Stroman.
This year, Cubs started hot, Alzolay cost the Cubs a handful of wins. Hendricks started awful (Tailon started awful in 23). Offense started great, Imanaga and Assad drove the pitching engine.
Month two, offense goes dormant, just like last year. We are struggling to find anything that resembles consistency out of first and third, just like last year, offense finally starts to click then the pitching breaks down, just like last season.
The only real difference so far is the win/loss record after 63 games. A testament to the teams depth and Counsell’s ability to keep the wheels from falling completely off.
If history continues to repeat itself, this team will cruise into the playoffs
Only in your mind drasco, does this team make the playoffs ‘if history repeats itself’.
You suggest trading Tauchman ( our best lead off hitter, by far), and bringing up 21 year old Caissie, to save the season. Caissie hopefully will become a valuable piece for the future – but expecting him to make up for the inefficiencies of people having mediocre to poor seasons, is not what’s best for his development. And at the same time, you suggest sending PCA down. And your still advising to get a read on Busch. Which side of your mouth are you speaking from?
I get that reading comprehension is very difficult for you so I’m not going to waste my time breaking everything down since you wouldn’t understand it even if I did. You have the critical thinking skills of a toddler and the reading comprehension of an elementary school child.
Fact is Bone that you never know who is going to provide a spark. Last year the Cubs were floundering when Morel was called back up and gave them a boost. The only way to find out is to try somebody else when the job isn’t getting done. There is no better motivator than proving there is somebody else who would really like your job.
I’m thinking the Braves would jump at the chance to give up a decent prospect P for a chance to get a decent OFer who can play all 3 positions and is cost controlled. Just sayin.
Welp, still 2762 hits shy of 3000. Very reachable still.
Years ago on a different site someone started a Starlyn Castro march to 3k forum. Good memories…