Latest Brennen Davis injury update is a reminder of why his Cubs' prospect status sunk

Not the update we were hoping for.

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Chicago Cubs v Chicago White Sox | John E. Moore III/GettyImages

The 2024 season was meant to be an important point in Brennen Davis' trajectory in the Chicago Cubs farm system.

Davis, the former prized prospect in the Cubs' system, has seen his prospect status derail in recent seasons due to various injuries. The biggest concern regarding Davis was a persistent back issue that the Cubs were hoping was resolved with surgery last season.

This season, the important thing for Davis was to remain healthy before determining what, if any, role he would have with the Cubs at the Major League level in the long-term.

Not only was Davis appearing to be fully recovered from his lingering back issues at the start of the 2024 season with Triple-A Iowa but his bat was showing signs of life. In 136 plate appearances with the Iowa Cubs this season, Davis compiled a 138 wRC+ while clubbing 10 home runs.

With Davis showing flashes of why he was once the top prospect in the Cubs' system, many Cubs fans were eager to see if this resurgence led to the outfielder finally reaching the Major League level. However, Davis hasn't appeared in game with the Iowa Cubs since June 11 and the update from manager Marty Pevey did not indicate a return was imminent.

Brennen Davis will join the list of former Cubs' top prospects who had their potential derailed by injury.

With the Cubs trending toward being sellers at the MLB Trade Deadline next month and teams already circling with interest in Cody Bellinger, there might have been a path to playing time for Davis during the second half of what is proving to be a lost season.

Instead, it seems increasingly likely that Davis's former potential will be mitigated by his recurring back issues. Moving forward, anything the Cubs receive from Davis should be viewed as a bonus and not factored into the team's long-term planning.

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