Cubs utilityman David Bote recently underwent surgery on his left shoulder, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer told reporters Tuesday evening, via Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. The extent of the procedure and a timetable for his recovery aren’t yet clear.
Bote separated that shoulder during a game in late May, an injury that cost him nearly two months of action. Largely because of that injury, Bote was limited to 327 plate appearances, slumping to a career-worst .199/.276/.330 line with eight home runs. He’d gotten off to a tough start even before the shoulder issue, but his .197/.273/.320 mark in 165 trips to the plate after returning from that IL stint marked a bit of a downturn even relative to his poor early-season numbers.
If he’s healthy heading into spring training, Bote figures to assume a utility role off the bench for manager David Ross. As things stand, the Cubs look likely to enter 2022 with a starting infield of Frank Schwindel, Nick Madrigal, Nico Hoerner and Patrick Wisdom. All those players hit right-handed, as does Bote, who’s likely to back up at multiple positions around the dirt. The 28-year-old is under contract through at least 2024 under the terms of the extension he signed in April 2019.
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