Chicago Cubs: Ian Happ is making it hard to send him back to Iowa

A tough decision has to be made

Ian Happ is a special player, there is no doubt about that. However, with the Cubs roster trending toward healthy, there may not be enough room for Happ on the roster.

Happ’s call-up was due in part to injuries to Addison Russell, Ben Zobrist, Jon Jay and Jason Heyward. Of the banged-up Cubs players, Heyward was the only one to spend time on the DL. The 27-year-old outfielder was scheduled to return from the disabled list on Tuesday. Despite that, his finger injury will require him to make a rehab start with the Cubs Single-A affiliate on Thursday.

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With Heyward’s extended stay on the DL, Happ will get an even better chance to prove he belongs in the majors.

Throughout his minor league career, Happ has shown the ability to play multiple positions. Even in his short time at the major league level, Happ has played all three outfield positions. The youngster will get his first start in left field on Thursday against the Reds.

Happ’s defensive versatility could make him a valuable part of the Cubs roster moving forward. After the Cubs parted ways with Matt Szczur, a bench role could be available to Happ once Heyward returns.

With the decline of Javier Baez (.228/.264/.430 in 35 games), Ben Zobrist will be left to hold down second base. That would mean Zobrist would be unable to fill-in for guys who need days off in the outfield. In turn, that would leave Happ to act as a fifth outfielder (behind Jon Jay) to provide depth for the Cubs.