Cubs rumors: Marcus Stroman makes progress towards a return
For most of the season, Marcus Stroman anchored the Chicago Cubs rotation and was one of the best pitchers in the entire National League.
But recently, Stroman ended up on the injured list with hip inflammation, obviously causing concern throughout the entire Cubs organization. But not everything is bad for the righty, as he recently made significant progress towards a return to the big-league club.
On Friday, Stroman threw the second bullpen of his IL stint, per Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune, and there remains optimism that he'll be reinstated next week once he becomes eligible. A hip injury is often the type of injury that nags on for much longer than many think or expect, which might have had something to do with his poor performance leading up to landing on the IL. He surrendered 22 earned runs over his last five starts, which only totaled 21 innings.
The Cubs are going to need Stroman to return and return to form in order to take the NL Central. The Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds are still very much in the mix of the division race. Stroman's looming return will boost the team tremendously.
Cubs rumors: Jefferson Rojas flies up latest MLB prospect rankings
This week, MLB Pipeline released their updated prospect rankings, which now featured the recent 2023 draft picks, including top Cubs pick, Matt Shaw. While the biggest story in this recent update is the debut of the recent draft picks on the list, the Cubs also saw some prospects make incredible rises through their system, highlighted by the list.
The biggest surprise in the Cubs system, who's been overlooked by almost all baseball fans, has been Jefferson Rojas, the shortstop from the Dominican Republic. The 18-year-old is one of the youngest prospects in the entire Cubs system and he holds one of the highest ceilings as well. He was an unranked prospect in their system, but after the update, he rose all the way to 11th in the system, which also places him as their second-ranked shortstop.
On the season, he's slashing .257/.343/.393 at Single-A, where he's shown a much better idea of reaching base than slugging at this point. This has a lot to do with his current frame, standing at 5-foot-10 while weighing just 150 pounds. The young shortstop projects as a hitter that will develop more power and slug a bit more when he grows into his frame.
Either way, he's a rising and extremely intriguing prospect to keep tabs on in the Cubs organization.
Cubs rumors: Nick Burdi prepares to begin rehab assignment
The Chicago Cubs have emerged in the NL Central as one of the favorites to take the division down the stretch. They'll be able to boost their stock down the stretch as they add players to their roster from the injured list. One of the pitchers that looks to make a difference but hasn't been given much of a chance this season because of injury, has been Nick Burdi.
The righty reliever made just three appearances before an appendectomy completely sent his season off the rails. He's spent the last few months missing time for the Cubs but has recently returned and begun pitching in the Arizona Complex League. Burdi intends on beginning his rehab assignment in Triple-A early in the coming week.
The 30-year-old will provide the Cubs with some much-needed depth in their bullpen down the stretch. He won't be a lights out arm that is able to shut down games in the back end, but his presence alone will benefit Chicago.
When he makes his return to Chicago, whenever that may be, it'll be his first time on the roster since late May. Burdi would likely take the place of Caleb Kilian, who's struggled for the Cubs recently.