Cubs Outfield Signing Timed Perfectly for Key Injury

The Chicago Cubs signed outfielder Trayce Thompson to a minor league contract on Wednesday afternoon, and it was a fun reunion for a few hours.

That was short-lived, however, as Thompson suddenly became a key depth piece for the Cubs after Cody Bellinger took a 97-mph heater off his hand in Wednesday night’s game against Baltimore.

Bellinger was placed on the 10-day injured list with a fractured middle finger Thursday afternoon, and it might not be long before we see Thompson up on the major league roster.

Thompson Adds Essential Depth After Bellinger Injury

Bellinger’s injury was so severe that he said he couldn’t throw a baseball, and that’s terrible luck for the Cubs.

Chicago is mired in last place in the NL Central, but it’s only 3.5 games out of Wild Card positioning in the National League, and Bellinger is sorely needed for those postseason hopes.

His .742 OPS is fourth among Cubs starters and he has a unique blend of power (.410 slugging percentage) and speed (82nd percentile sprint speed) that’s hard to replicate.

In a corresponding move, the Cubs brought up outfielder Alexander Canario from Triple-A Iowa.

Canario fared well in a 13-game stint with the Cubs in April, batting .273 with an .815 OPS across 22 at-bats and he has 16 homers in 231 minor league at-bats this season.

But Canario is no Bellinger, and neither is Thompson.

Now 33-years-old, Thompson hit just .163 across 153 at-bats for the Dodgers and White Sox last season and was released by the Mets earlier this month after hitting .228 across 253 minor-league plate appearances.

His brief time with the Cubs – 15 games in 2021 – brought about a jolt of success as he hit four home runs with a .400 on-base percentage.

But he’s still just a career .212 hitter at the MLB level who is nearing the end of his career. Let’s hope that Bellinger isn’t out so long that Thompson has to be relied on for very long in Chicago. 

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