Two weeks after breaking two ribs, Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger was activated off the injured list and put third in the lineup at designated hitter for Tuesday's home game against the San Diego Padres.
Bellinger, a two-time All-Star, was injured when he ran into Wrigley Field's brick outfield wall making a play on April 23 against the Houston Astros. He left after the sixth inning with what the team called bruised ribs.
He was in the midst of an eight-game hitting streak that raised his batting average to .226 on the season with five home runs and 17 RBIs in 22 games.
Bellinger is a lifetime .257 hitter with 183 career home runs and 536 RBIs for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2017-22) and Cubs. Bellinger, the 2017 Rookie of the Year and the National League MVP in 2019, was a fourth-round pick of the Dodgers in the 2013 draft.
To make room on the roster, the Cubs optioned outfielder Alexander Canario to Triple-A Iowa. Canario, who turned 24 on Tuesday, hit .273 (6-for-22) in 13 games.
In other moves Tuesday, Chicago placed right-hander Daniel Palencia on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder strain and recalled right-hander Keegan Thompson from Iowa.
Palencia, 24, is 0-1 with one save, a 6.55 ERA, eight walks and 12 strikeouts in 11 innings over seven relief appearances this season. Thompson, 29, has appeared in seven games for Chicago this season and has a 1-0 record, 3.38 ERA, four walks and 14 strikeouts in 10 2/3 innings.
More must-reads: