Chicago Cubs: Assessing the North Siders’ injuries

Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Day-to-Day

Addison Russell, who has been dealing with shoulder soreness, had not appeared in the starting line-up since Sunday. However, Russell did start Thursday night’s contest against the Nationals.

While Russell has not been placed on the DL, a stint may do the 23-year-old some good. Hitting just .227, Russell owns an OBP south of .300.

Javier Baez has been filling in for Russell at shortstop. Baez has clubbed ten home runs this season and has been flashing the leather left and right. Perhaps, the solid play of Baez will affect the club’s decision to place Russell on the DL.

Reigning MVP bitten by injury bug

Despite hitting a modest .264, Bryant owns a .395 OBP in 74 games this season. In addition to that, Bryant has clubbed 16 home runs and recorded 32 RBI.

While Bryant is not having the type of season he had last year, he has remained an important part of the Cubs’ offense.

With the team struggling, this was perhaps the worse time for Bryant to go down with an injury. In Wednesday’s 8-4 loss to the Nationals, Bryant was forced to leave the game after rolling his ankle while catching a pop-up.

After the game, it was confirmed that Bryant suffered a sprained ankle. While the Cubs dodged a bullet with the severity of the injury, Bryant will likely miss two or three games. Even though a DL stint has not been ruled out, Bryant seems to be feeling better. This is good news for the Cubs as they look to make a push before the All-Star break.