Cody Bellinger has been activated from the paternity leave list on Friday and rather than sending Nelson Velazquez to the minors, catcher Luis Torrens was designated for assignment.
The Chicago Cubs are coming off a series win over the San Diego Padres and now pay a visit to the Miami Marlins for a three-game set. With the start of the road trip, the Cubs return an important part of the roster. After spending the week on the paternity leave list, Cody Bellinger is back with the team and back in the lineup on Friday.
With Bellinger's return, it is naturally easy to assume Nelson Velazquez would return to Triple-A. However, after a tremendous showing in place of Bellinger, Velazquez stays and third catcher Luis Torrens has been designated for assignment.
Velazquez has appeared in five games this season. In 13 official at-bats, "Nelly V" has two home runs, five RBI, two doubles, and three walks. In comparison, he has only struck out once. Velazquez looks like the best version of himself so far in 2023.
Torrens became one of the odd men out on the roster. In only 13 games, Torrens slashed .250/.318/.300 with three RBI. A strong spring allowed Torrens to make the roster because of his offensive upside, but that upside never came to fruition in April leading to his designation for assignment.
Bellinger is off to a hot start in 2023. Slashing .300/.380/.550, he looks a bit like his old self. He also has five home runs, five doubles, 15 RBI, and four steals. Bellinger's return makes the Cubs lineup look even better.
What's On Tap Next?
The Cubs and Marlins begin their three-game set on Friday. With Marcus Stroman and Jesus Luzardo on the bump for their respective clubs, first pitch is scheduled for 5:40 p.m. CDT. Stroman will look to rebound after a bit of a rough start against the Los Angeles Dodgers, although he notched his 1,000th career strikeout in that game.
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