Chicago Cubs News: Brennen Dravis injury update adds to CF intrigue

2022 was meant to be an important season for Chicago Cubs top prospect Brennen Davis as he was beginning the season with the Iowa Cubs with the expectation that he may arrive at the Major League level by the end of the season. Davis struggled at the beginning of the season with the I-Cubs before he underwent back surgery in May. For the Cubs, the hope was that Davis' struggles at the beginning of the season were due to the injury to his back. Davis managed to return to the I-Cubs prior to the end of the season with the expectation that he would participate in the Arizona Fall League. The Cubs shut Davis down during the early parts of the Arizona Fall League with what the team described as general soreness.

While examining the development of three of the Cubs' pitching prospects in his Wednesday morning update for The Athletic, Sahadev Sharma casually shared this update on Davis:

"The offseason hasn’t begun as some would have hoped. Prospects like Brennen Davis (stress reaction in his back) and Alexander Canario (ankle and shoulder surgery) had significant setbacks in October. Both had a chance to impact the 2023 team and Canario could have even been a trade chip to bolster the immediate future. The latter certainly won’t happen and the former is now in question."

The Athletic

A stress reaction in his back is a much more alarming concern for Davis than general soreness. Especially when one of the goals of the surgery he had during the season was to provide a more permanent solution to his ailing back issues. Evan Altman of Cubs Insider did a tremendous breakdown of the injury and what it could mean moving forward for Davis.

The uncertainty surrounding Davis also explains why Cubs' president Jed Hoyer has been so transparent in saying that the Cubs' 2023 starting center fielder will be an external option. Cody Bellinger and Kevin Kiermaier remain the two primary free agent center fielders that the Cubs have been connected to. With the Winter Meetings set to begin next Monday, there is a chance that the team may find their center field solution before the end of next week.