The Chicago Cubs are going to be without their starting shortstop for a short period of time. The Cubs placed Addison Russell on the 10-day Disabled List, which is retroactive to August 2 because of a strained right foot. This is not the first time Russell has faced an injury. The move was announced before the Cubs play the Washington Nationals. Russell was batting .241 with 10 home runs and 36 runs batted in.
Cubs' infield plans
With Russell to the disabled list, the Cubs can play Javier Baez at shortstop. The move means that Ian Happ or Ben Zobrist can rotate playing second base.
Zobrist is more likely to play at second given that Happ has emerged as the team's starting center fielder. However, if manager Joe Maddon likes to keep Albert Almora Jr. in the lineup, Happ could be used at second base.
Russell getting hurt comes at a bad time for the Cubs. The Cubs just lost two straight to the Arizona Diamondbacks this week, while the team plays the current leader of the National League East division. The Cubs' lead in the Central has dropped to 1.5 games.
Rob Zastryzny called up
Zastryzny was called up from Triple-A Iowa. The left-handed pitcher last pitched for the Cubs on May 6 against the New York Yankees. He has pitched just four innings this year, and has a 6.75 earned run averaged and four walks.
He joins Mike Montgomery, Brian Duensing, and Justin Wilson as left-handed hurlers in the bullpen. The reason why a pitcher was called up instead of a position player was because the team's pitching was "beat up" according to Maddon in the press release.
Plus, the Cubs don't have any prospects that could make a significant contribution.
The team just dealt Jeimer Candelario, who was their most experienced infielder. The team has plenty of outfielders, so Happ or Zobrist could easily move to second base.
What Russell will miss
The Cubs still have a narrow lead in their division, but have a tough road ahead. If Russell misses at least Ten Days, he would miss the Nationals, San Francisco Giants, Diamondbacks, and Cincinnati Reds series.
The good news is that two of those teams are in last place in their respective divisions. The bad news is that the Nationals lead their division, while the Diamondbacks lead the first wild card position.
The Brewers have an easier schedule in the next ten days. Milwaukee plays the Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins, Reds, and Pittsburgh Pirates. If the Brewers want to chip away at the Cubs, these next ten days could be an opportunity for the team.
