3 overlooked Chicago Cubs stories from the season's first month

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The Chicago Cubs close out the April slate with a series against the New York Mets at Citi Field before returning home for a homestand against the Milwaukee Brewers to get the May calendar started this weekend.

It's been an eventful first month of the season for Craig Counsell and his team. Injuries have piled up staggeringly, starting on Opening Night with the loss of Justin Steele, to more recently, outfielders Seiya Suzuki and Cody Bellinger. But the club has weathered the storm, entering last night's opener against the Mets at 17-11, just a half-game out of first in the division.

But we've talked at length about the injuries and the standout performances of Chicago's two rookies: Michael Busch and Shota Imanaga. Let's dig in a little more on 3 storylines that haven't gotten as much attention.

Christopher Morel has been incredibly streaky to open the year

While working through some growing pains at the hot corner to open the season, Christopher Morel swung a hot stick at the dish, slashing .326/.370/.605 in his first 11 games. But since April 10, the young infielder has looked lost at the plate, evidenced by a .123/.227/.158 line over his last 16 contests entering play on Monday.

In Friday's win over the Red Sox, Morel recorded his first multi-hit effort since April 9, but followed it up over the next two games by going 0-for-7 with four strikeouts as the Cubs dropped the series at Fenway.

Given the key pieces sidelined by injury in Suzuki and Bellinger, Chicago can ill afford Morel looking lost at the plate heading into May. Here's to hoping Morel's game-winning home run in the ninth on Monday night sparks another hot streak because the it could be huge for the Cubs' offense.

There's room on this roster for hot position player prospects

Nick Madrigal and Matt Mervis aren't bringing much to the table. Granted, Mervis just came back up from Iowa late last week, but their numbers paint a pretty clear picture.

Madrigal, for starters, looks nothing like the prospect out of Oregon State who went in the first round and was lauded for his elite bat-to-ball skills. He's batting just .219/.265/.281 on the year and has a 0% barrel rate. There's been no hard contact and, while he doesn't punch out much, he doesn't walk either.

Mervis, since joining the team, is 2-for-15 and even with Garrett Cooper gone, it's hard to see the fit long-term, especially with Busch playing so well at first and Patrick Wisdom back in the mix. It feels like time is running out for him to prove himself at the big league level. Prior to Mervis' return, Miles Mastrobuoni, while versatile, was a black hole offensively, evidenced by a .077 OPS.

All this to say there are obvious opportunities to force the Cubs' hand and play your way onto the MLB roster if you're knocking down the door in the minors. Injuries have helped Alexander Canario and Pete Crow-Armstrong earn spots on the 26-man, but there is a path to playing time here if you're a young position player ready to prove himself.

Mark Leiter Jr. continues to be en elite reliever nobody talks about

Before getting walked off on Sunday Night Baseball, Cubs right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. picked up right where he left off late last summer before he ran out of gas. His go-to putaway pitch, a splitter, ranks as one of the most effective single pitches in all of baseball and, when it's dialed in, he can be unhittable to both lefties and righties.

With 14 appearances under his belt already on the young season, Leiter Jr. boasts an impressive 0.69 ERA and is yet to allow a long ball. Cutting down on the walks (as we saw with the leadoff walk coming around to haunt him on Sunday in the ninth) will be a focal point for the right-hander, but he's been a steady presence in the bullpen as it works through some things.

Counsell has been unable to rely on several key pieces in the pen in the early going, but Leiter has been a constant - and will need to continue to be as the season wears on. So far, so good.

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