The Chicago Cubs open their season on March 18 in Tokyo, Japan against the Los Angeles Dodgers. As that day rapidly approaches, they are putting the final touches on their roster. They made big additions, like Kyle Tucker and Ryan Pressly, but did lose Cody Bellinger. But Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner is still recovering from an arm injury and won’t be traveling to Tokyo. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reports that the team is not concerned about his availability beyond that.
“It’s good news because we were very much tracking towards opening day — domestic opening day,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell told Rogers. “So it stinks in terms of not getting to be part of the trip, but his rehab in the last couple of weeks I think really took a step forward and he’s starting to progress quicker.”
Hoerner had surgery on his right flexor tendon in October and is on track to play big league games by April. But opening day two weeks earlier than every other team is not realistic for his timeline.
With all of the additions, Hoerner never lost his spot at second base. His .708 OPS and solid glove make him a key part of this core looking to finally return to the playoffs.
The Cubs are dealing with other injuries as well
Hoerner has not played in a spring training game yet as he recovers from his arm surgery. Another key part of the infield is Matthew Shaw, who has also not played this spring. The prospect has the inside track to be the starting third baseman after they traded Isaac Paredes to land Tucker. Counsell told Rogers, “Nothing is off the table for Matt. No decisions have been made there,” about his oblique issue.
These injuries could thrust depth options Jon Berti and Vidal Brujan into early action against the Dodgers. Both were brought in as utility infielders off the bench and have had varying success in the big leagues. Berti only played 25 games with the Yankees last year due to a calf injury. When he did, he continued his reputation as a solid defender and base runner but a subpar hitter.
Brujan was with the Miami Marlins last year as Berti’s replacement after he was traded during the spring. He had his best season, with a .222 batting average but had five stolen bases on 11 attempts. If both players are unavailable for the Tokyo games, the Cubs will need great performances from both Berti and Brujan to snag a win.
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