Chicago Cubs: When will Ian Happ make his return to the big leagues?

Before the Chicago Cubs opened up the regular season, we learned Ian Happ would start the year in Iowa. When will he make his return to the North Side?

Flashback to Opening Day in Miami last year. Ian Happ steps into the box, leading off for the Chicago Cubs. Before fans could even get comfortable, he homered on the first pitch of the season. A moonshot that led way to Chicago’s first win.

At the time, fans were buzzing and expecting big things out of Happ following his 24 homers and 68 RBI debut campaign in 2017. Unfortunately, his offensive production took a hit, resulting in nine fewer home runs and two dozen fewer RBI in 27 more games and 23 additional at-bats. After an early postseason exit and long offseason, it was time for the boys to get back to work.

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The spring didn’t necessarily play out in Happ’s favor as a demotion was on the horizon for the 24-year-old slugger. There wasn’t much of a choice given his 2017 struggles and the fact he ended Cactus League play with only seven RBI and a weak .135/.196/.192/.389 clip.

Mark Zagunis eventually took his Opening Day roster spot as he returned to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs in Des Moines.

Familiar territory for the promising powerhouse but a minor step back in his journey. A journey that will surely get him back on track.

Update in Iowa

As of Thursday, it appears that Happ is still struggling to figure out opposing pitchers, striking out 10 times through 31 at-bats. He ended Thursday’s contest 0-for-4 with a strikeout, dropping his batting line to .226/.273/.323.

In the years he spent with the Cubs he combined for 296 strikeouts. Something the organization wants him to work on before they make the decision to bring him back up to the big leagues.

"“Strikeout rate is something. It’s raising in the big leagues. It’s an issue. But I think it’s putting the ball in play in certain situations more than anything. It’s more of a mental battle than a physical  battle.” — Happ via Des Moines Register"

Happ isn’t the only organizational star that’s struggling this year. In fact, Kris Bryant is in a bit of a slump of his own but there’s no chance Theo Epstein demotes him. Players all struggle at some point in their career.

It’s baseball. No one is perfect. What matters is how players overcome these hurdles and help their teams win ballgames. Happ will be one of these individuals and it’s only a matter of time before he’s back in Joe Maddon‘s lineup with the rest of the guys.