Chicago Cubs stick to the trend; Olt closing in on his return

Cubs continue trend of bats with first-round pick

The

Chicago Cubs

brain trust of Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer and Jason McLeod continued with what works, taking a positional player for the fourth straight year with their first-round pick. Ian Happ was considered one of the top three hitters available in this draft, and with the best arms already off the board, this was a smart pick. Happ has been one of the best performers over the past two seasons, and one of the biggest questions remains to be where he will play in the field.

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Sometimes you have to take the bad with the good, or vice versa in this case. After learning of Javier Baez and his broken finger that could keep him out for an extended period, Mike Olt appears to be nearing his return as he’s taking BP off live pitching, the last step before taking a rehab assignment. Where will Olt’s place be with the Cubs when he’s ready to return?

There was baseball yesterday aside from the draft, and it included an 11-3 win from the Rockies over the Cardinals to help the Cubs gain a half-game with the day off. The Rockies put a hurting on Cards starter John Lackey, dropping a five-spot on his in the first including a three-run bomb from Troy Tulowitzki. The Cubs now sit tied with the Pirates at 6 1/2 behind the Redbirds.

These and more that you may have missed

‘Cubs select Ian Happ with No. 9 pick in MLB Draft’ – Cubbies Crib

‘Mike Olt nearing his return, but where does he fit?’ – Cubbies Crib

‘Rockies rout Cards behind Hale, Two HR’s’ – Rox Pile

‘Cards Holliday exits with strained quad’ – ESPN.com

‘Callis: 3 best picks, 3 biggest surprises’ – MLB.com

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