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The Cubs announced that outfielder Cody Bellinger has a fracture in his left middle finger and has been placed on the 10-day injured list. Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune was among those who relayed the news on X. Fellow outfielder Alexander Canario was recalled to take his spot on the active roster.
In Wednesday night’s game, Bellinger was hit on the hand by a pitch from left-hander Cionel Pérez. He departed the contest as he felt he couldn’t throw a ball, per Montemurro on X. Now it seems a fracture has been found, and he’ll need to miss some time.
Teams are generally more willing to put a player on the IL around the All-Star break, as it allows for an extended breather while perhaps only missing a handful of games. But if Bellinger has a broken bone, he would probably need an IL stint regardless, though the club hasn’t yet indicated how much time they expect him to miss.
Either way, it’s a rough development for the club. Bellinger isn’t quite hitting as much as he did last year, but his .269/.331/.410 batting line is still 9% better than the league average, according to wRC+. He’s also stolen five bases while playing competent center-field defense.
The Cubs are in a tight spot, currently 44-49. That only leaves them 3.5 games back in the crowded National League wild-card race but with several teams ahead of them. They are currently only ahead of the Rockies, Marlins, and Nationals, and they would have to leapfrog six other clubs to get into postseason positions. With the trade deadline now less than three weeks away, they will soon have to decide how aggressively to buy or sell or walk a fine line between the two.
Losing a player of Bellinger’s quality will make it more challenging to climb in the standings in the next few weeks. Bellinger himself has also been speculated as a potential trade candidate, though the opt-outs in his contract make that a complicated endeavor, something that MLBTR’s Anthony Franco recently explored in a piece for Front Office Subscribers. If there was any chance of the Cubs lining up something there, this injury may make it less likely.
The Cubs are now down two outfielders, with Mike Tauchman on the IL. They will have to proceed with a mix of Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ, with Canario now in there. Canario has a stout batting line of .282/.333/.538 in his big league career. That’s come in a small sample of 42 plate appearances, but he also has a strong line of .238/.330/.502 in Triple-A this year.
For Bellinger, this may impact him personally. At the end of the year, he will have to trigger his opt-out or stick with the Cubs. He can take a $2.5M buyout or stick around and collect a $27.5M salary in 2025, with another $25M player option and a $5M buyout for the following year. Whether he wants another crack at free agency will naturally depend on the kind of platform he produces here in 2024, so he hopes to return in good form.
More must-reads:
- What recall of top prospect means for middling Cubs
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- The 'Multiple 100-RBI MLB seasons' quiz
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The Canucks are reportedly quite interested in Ducks' Mason McTavish, this news coming after one of their young NCAA players, Jackson Kunz, could leave the team. With $3.25 million of free cap space now available after Dakota Joshua was sent to Toronto, the Vancouver Canucks and GM Patrik Allvin have room to add a significant piece, and it seems that they may be after a former third overall choice. Vancouver is interested in Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish, a restricted free agent, reports The Province's Patrick Johnston. 'Hence their continued interest in Roslovic, as well as their interest in Mason McTavish, the Anaheim Ducks' restricted free agent. Of course adding McTavish, the third-overall pick in the 2021 draft, will be very hard: he's a highly-regarded player with huge upside and will cost a big price in trade, perhaps more than the Canucks can afford.' Johnston said. It won't be an easy feat to get him due to asset limitations and Anaheim's stance on his next deal, but the 22-year-old would be a perfect fit as the Canucks' second-line center. After playing his inaugural 20-goal NHL campaign, McTavish offers skill and grit, two qualities that the Canucks may covet during a playoff push. While a few large-name players are available on the free market, Vancouver is considering trades as well as free agent solutions in the latter half of the offseason. Making a bold move for a player like McTavish wouldn't be out of character with the needs of the team. The Canucks need to sign their important NCAA prospect by August 15th Meanwhile, the Canucks are also under pressure in another direction. The deadline on August 15th is coming up to sign NCAA prospects graduating after four years. If they don't sign them, they'll become unrestricted free agents. The key concern is forward Jackson Kunz. If he isn't signed by August 15, 2025, he'll land on the open market. In the midst of a potential blockbuster trade and looming NCAA deadlines, the next several weeks can be make-or-break for Vancouver.
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