The Chicago Cubs were dealt a major blow when their injury issues hit a climax after their superstar Cody Bellinger had to leave a game early after colliding with Wrigley's outfield wall.
It was then revealed he had suffered fractured ribs and it was feared he could miss an extended period of time.
For the Cubs who are searching for their first playoff appearance since 2020, this was the last thing they needed as they've battled injuries to many of their impact players through the early portion of the season.
However, it seems like Bellinger might be making his way back to the field sooner rather than later.
Maddie Lee of The Chicago Sun-Times shared video that he was playing catch prior to their game on Sunday, and also reported he took some swinging reps off a tee and soft toss pitches.
Chicago placed their star outfielder on the 10-day injured list following his collision, but he is saying that he is rapidly improving and might be able to go once he misses the requisite amount of time.
"Even from three days ago, [I'm feeling] way better. I feel like, every day, it seems to get stronger. It's better when I move," he said prior to his field work on Sunday according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.
Bellinger and the Cubs are taking a day by day approach with his recovery and will continue to move him along in the rehab process based on the feedback he provides.
Manager Craig Counsell said that's going to be how they handle this until he's able to return. The doctors told him they are planning to ramp up his activity gradually if he continues to feel good until he's fully able to play in a game.
But, he also said they're not going to rush anything.
"But I think he also has some intensity to conquer before we get there ... And we've got a lot of games left and I don’t think playing in a lot of pain is kind of what we want to tackle right now," Counsell said.
That seems to be the smart approach.
While they certainly don't want Bellinger to miss an extended period of time, the calendar is only about to flip to May, meaning there are plenty of games remaining where they'll need him to be 100%.
The good news is that Chicago has been able to stay afloat even amongst all their injuries as they have a 17-11 record entering Monday and are only a half game back out of the NL Central lead.
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