Manny Ramirez to join Iowa Cubs Thursday

Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports

The long awaited return will come this week when Manny Ramirez joins the Iowa Cubs Thursday, reports ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers.

The 42 year-old will join the Chicago Cubs’ Triple-A team in Colorado Springs on Thursday as they begin a four-game series against the Sky Sox (Colorado Rockies). He will make his home debut Monday.

Ramirez signed with the Cubs on May 25 to be a player-coach and has spent the past three weeks getting into baseball game shape at the organization’s spring training facility in Mesa, Arizona.

The move marks the third straight year the 12-time All-Star’s playing in Triple-A. Last season he hit three home runs and 13 RBI while batting .259/.328/.370 in 30 games with the Round Rock Express in the Texas Rangers’ organization. He last appeared in the big leagues in five games with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2009 and was the 2002 American League batting champion, and the 2004 World Series Most Valuable Player with the Boston Red Sox.

In a corresponding move, the Chicago Cubs released OF Casper Wells following Iowa’s win over Albuquerque on Tuesday afternoon. Wells batted .197 (12-for-61) with two doubles and six runs scored in 26 games since joining Iowa from extended spring training on May 19.

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