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Cubs' Vidal Brujan: Hits first spring home run
Brujan went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks.
Brujan connected for his first home run of the spring in the fifth inning and also split time in the field at second base and shortstop. The 27-year-old was shipped to Chicago from Miami in December, and he figures to serve in a bench role with the Cubs, giving him a limited fantasy ceiling for the time being.
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Cubs' Carson Kelly: Pops first spring home run
Kelly went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks.
Kelly, who signed a two-year, $11.5 million contract with the Cubs in December, connected for his first spring home run in his new uniform. The veteran backstop was brought in to pair with Miguel Amaya, and both players figure to see plenty of playing time, at least to start the season. While Kelly's experience should be valuable for Chicago, he's a limited offensive player with less upside at the plate than Amaya.
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Cubs' Ben Brown: Competing as starter
Manager Craig Counsell said Brown has hit the ground running in camp and he's being evaluated as a starting pitcher, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.
"Ultimately, you're trying to develop starters," Counsell said. "That's really valuable. The elite back-end guy, they're super-valuable, too. It's knowing that we got a good pitcher there and figuring out what to do. That's what we'll have to, at some point, make decisions on. But right now, it's a starter for Ben." It's looking more and more likely that Javier Assad (oblique) will have to start the year on the injured list, in which case it would be one of Brown, Colin Rea or Jordan Wicks opening the year as the Cubs' fifth starter. Brown obviously has the highest fantasy ceiling of that bunch, but he's still mostly a two-pitch guy, although his top two pitches (fastball, curveball) are easily plus and his curveball, which is also called a "death ball," is one of the best curveballs in all of baseball. He's been working on his changeup this spring, and if he's clearly the best option, it would be hard for the Cubs to exclude Brown and his strikeout stuff from a starting rotation that had the 25th-best strikeout rate (21.1 percent) in baseball last season.
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Cubs' Javier Assad: Stint on injured list possible
Assad (oblique) could throw off a mound this week, but a stint on the injured list to begin the season is possible, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.
Assad is working his way back from a mild left oblique strain suffered early on in camp. He could have enough time to ramp up for Opening Day if he does indeed get back on a mound this week, but a stint on the injured list to begin the season has not been ruled out. Assad came into camp as the presumed favorite to serve as the Cubs' fifth starter, but if he's not ready, Colin Rea, Jordan Wicks and Ben Brown would compete to fill in.
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Cubs' Cade Horton: Completes bullpen session
Horton (shoulder) faced four batters during a brief bullpen session Sunday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
It was a short but meaningful appearance on the mound for Horton, who was facing live hitters for the first time in about nine months. The young righty was ultimately shut down last year due to a Grade 2 right subscapularis strain, and he's slowly building himself back up in camp. Horton, who was drafted seventh overall by the Cubs back in 2022, is one of the team's top pitching prospects and could be closing in on his MLB debut this season. The lost 2024 campaign may slow Horton down a bit, but if he looks good at Triple-A Iowa early in the year, he could start to force the issue, though Chicago would have to open up a spot on its 40-man roster to make room for the 23-year-old.
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Cubs' Julian Merryweather: Makes spring debut Saturday
Merryweather (knee) pitched a scoreless inning of relief in Saturday's Cactus League game against the White Sox. He allowed a hit and a walk.
Merryweather missed the majority of last season due to rib and knee injuries and ended up making only 15 appearances for the Cubs, with his last one coming on Aug. 25. While he likely won't be in the mix for saves in 2025 with Ryan Pressly and Porter Hodge around, it's encouraging just to see Merryweather back on the mound. He figures to work in middle relief and likely won't have a ton of fantasy appeal in most formats.
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Cubs' Michael Busch: Off to fast start
Busch went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI in Saturday's Cactus League game against the White Sox.
Busch is now 4-for-6 overall through two spring training appearances with three RBI. The 27-year-old is entrenched as Chicago's top option at first base, though the recent addition of Justin Turner gives the Cubs a veteran alternative. The two could work in a platoon to start the year with the lefty-hitting Busch serving on the strong side, but a prolonged slump by either player could swing playing time more in the opposite direction.
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Cubs' Justin Steele: Sharp in spring debut
Steele tossed two scoreless innings in Saturday's Cactus League game against the White Sox. He allowed two hits and struck out five.
In his first action of the spring, Steele already appeared to be in midseason form. The lefty was limited to only 24 starts last year due to hamstring and forearm injuries, but he was effective when healthy, compiling a 3.07 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 135:37 K:BB across 134.2 innings. Steele figures to slot in behind Shota Imanaga in Chicago's rotation this season, giving the Cubs an imposing 1-2 punch, and both are attractive options for fantasy managers.
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Cubs' Travis Jankowski: Finds work in Windy City
Jankowski signed a minor-league contract with the Cubs on Friday that includes an invitation to spring training, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Jankowski slashed just .200/.266/.242 with 12 RBI over 207 plate appearances last season with the Rangers. The 33-year-old outfielder has never been regarded as an offensive threat with a career .624 OPS and he'll most likely serve as organizational depth at Triple-A Iowa.
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Cubs' Greg Allen: Goes to Northsiders on NRI pact
The Cubs signed Allen to a minor-league contract Friday that includes an invitation to spring training, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Allen, who turns 32 in March, spent most of the 2024 season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the Yankees organization, producing a .698 OPS in 58 contests. He'll give the Cubs a veteran capable of playing all three outfield spots and is likely to begin the season at Triple-A Iowa.
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Cubs' Javier Assad: Cleared to play catch
Manager Craig Counsell said Thursday that Assad (oblique) has resumed playing catch, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Assad was diagnosed with a mild oblique strain early on in camp but appears to be making strides. It's not clear when he might be ready for mound work and a game appearance, however. Assad is in a competition for the final spot in the Cubs' rotation, so he can't afford too long of a delay.
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Cubs' Matt Shaw: Resumes hitting and throwing
Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Thursday that Shaw (oblique) is "doing great" and has resumed hitting in the batting cage and throwing, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Shaw suffered an oblique injury at the beginning of camp but has been trending in the right direction since then. The Cubs will continue to tread cautiously given the finicky nature of oblique injuries, but it would seem Shaw might not be far off from full activities. The top prospect is the favorite to be the Cubs' Opening Day third baseman.
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Cubs' Brett Bateman: Slated for hamate surgery
Manager Craig Counsell said Thursday that Bateman will undergo hamate bone surgery on his right hand, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
It's a surgery that typically sidelines a player for around six weeks, so Bateman will get a late start to the season. Once healthy, he's likely to be assigned to Double-A Tennessee.
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Cubs' Owen Caissie: Shut down with groin tightness
Manager Craig Counsell said Thursday that Caissie has been shut down due to left groin tightness, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Caissie underwent core muscle surgery over the offseason, although it's not clear whether this setback is related to that. It's uncertain how long the outfield prospect might be shut down. If healthy, Caissie projects to open the season at Triple-A Iowa.
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Cubs' Alexander Canario: Removed from 40-man roster
The Cubs designated Canario for assignment Thursday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
The move frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for Justin Turner, whose signing has been made official. Canario has an .857 OPS but a 42.2 percent strikeout rate during his brief time in the majors over the last two seasons. Strikeout issues and a lack of minor-league options could limit Canario's appeal, but the Cubs should be able to find a trade partner willing to gamble on the 24-year-old's power upside.
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Cubs' Cody Poteet: Slated to start spring opener
Poteet is in line to start Thursday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers, Jordan Bastian and Sonja Chen of MLB.com report.
Poteet joined the Cubs back in December in the trade that sent Cody Bellinger to the Yankees. Poteet could be minor-league depth once the regular season begins, though with Chicago not using all of its regulars in Thursday's spring training opener, he will get the chance to take the mound. The veteran righty posted a 2.22 ERA and 16:8 K:BB across 24.1 innings for New York last year.
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2024 Team Statistical Rankings
| Avg | R | HR | ERA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team |
.242 (17th) |
736 (12th) |
170 (20th) |
3.78 (10th) |
Injuries
| Player | Injury |
|---|---|
| N. Hoerner 2B Nico Hoerner 2B | Elbow |
| O. Caissie OF Owen Caissie OF | Groin |
| J. Assad RP Javier Assad RP | Oblique |
| L. Little RP Luke Little RP | Lat |
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