New report suggests Cubs themselves are to blame for Nico Hoerner's continued woes

Nico Hoerner got in on the Chicago Cubs' hit parade during Friday's blowout win over the Toronto Blue Jays, turning in a three-hit afternoon - something he hadn't done since mid-April, before a brutal slump took hold, leaving the veteran infielder looking lost at the plate.

Some have speculated that his struggles at the plate are tied to being hit in the head by a pitch back on April 29. Before that, Hoerner was living up to the contract extension the Cubs gave him this spring, slashing .291/.370/.449. Since that HBP, it's been a very different story. He hit just .188/.265/.230 entering Friday's three-hit effort - and it's easy to make the case Hoerner's struggles have been a huge part of Chicago's team-wide funk.

Ron Coomer spills the tea on Nico Hoerner's offensive struggles

But in a pregame appearance on The Score Friday, Cubs radio broadcaster Ron Coomer offered a very different explanation for Hoerner's struggles: the team is actively trying to change his game.

Early in the year, Hoerner showed more slug than we're used to seeing from him - but power isn't something the Cubs have to get from him to be a good team. They do, however, need him spraying the ball to all fields, helping manufacture offense, especially when the team's sluggers are coming up empty as they have for much of the last six or so weeks.

If Hoerner can shake this off and get back to being a batting title-caliber presence, sparking the Cubs' offense, there's time for Chicago to change its fortunes (again). In the last week or so, the offense has started to show real signs of life: Friday's 16-run explosion featured a seven-run bottom of the first and Pete Crow-Armstrong is playing at an otherworldly level right now.

If Hoerner can start getting in on the fun, buckle up. He's a dynamic sparkplug who, like PCA, can change the game in so many ways. Getting back to who he's always been as a hitter needs to be priority #1 as the first half begins to wind down.

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