First baseman Frank Schwindell’s time with Triple-A Iowa didn’t last long.
A source confirmed that Schwindell is expected to reunite with the Chicago Cubs in San Diego ahead of their first match of the series on Monday night. a cubs fan Schwindell as seen on Monday morning flight Chicago to San Diego.
It is not yet clear what steps the Cubs will take for Schwindell. However, Schwindell’s recall so early and not spending the minimum stint in the minors indicates that the Cubs have been moved to some sort of injury or injured list within the roster.
Left-hander Justin Steele was ruled out early Sunday with pain in his left thumb. He was originally scheduled to start on Monday against the Padres, but his outing was pushed. Right-hander Marcus Strowman suffered a bruise from Sunday’s scheduled start and was placed on the IL without an injury margin. Players can visit IL only in circumstances when it is related to COVID.
Schwindell, 30, was selected for Triple A before losing 7-1 to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday night. He does not lose his last minor-league substitute because he has not spent a minimum of 20 days in the minors. The Cubs hoped the move would allow Schwindell to regain the success he had become during his two months to lock down and close out last season.
After losing time in spring training due to a back tightness, Schwindell struggled to keep going. He posted the .209/.250/.308 slash line with 62 OPS+, five extra-base hits, 21 strikeouts and five walks. His strike rate is about 7% higher than last year while his walk rate has come down by 1.5%.
,
