Cubs' Ian Happ: Sitting out first game of twin bill
Rotowire
Happ is not in the lineup for the first game of Monday's doubleheader against the Brewers.
Happ will likely be back in the lineup for the nightcap, but he will begin Monday's afternoon tilt on the bench. Owen Caissie will start in left field and bat sixth in the first game Monday.
Happ went 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, an RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Pirates.
Despite getting a new outfield mate recently in rookie Owen Caissie, Happ has held onto an everyday role, and he delivered his first multi-hit performance since Aug. 8 in Sunday's victory. The veteran outfielder is having a down year by his standards with a .228 batting average and .714 OPS, but it appears his playing time is going to hold steady, and his track record suggests he should still be able to provide fantasy value down the stretch.
With top prospect Owen Caissie expected to make his MLB debut Thursday, per Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com, Happ and other Chicago outfielders may be more crunched for regular playing time.
Chicago already has a fairly crowded outfield with Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker playing most days left to right, and regular DH Seiya Suzuki also capable of filling a corner spot. The addition of Caissie is likely an attempt to jumpstart a Cubs' offense that has been struggling lately, and the top prospect figures to take playing time away from any of the current outfielders who are slumping or could use a break. Happ has the lowest season-long OPS of the aforementioned quartet, and he's slashing just .222/.310/.361 this month. It remains to be seen how Chicago divvies up playing time moving forward, but it makes sense to think that the 31-year-old Happ could see more rest days during the stretch run.
Happ went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Wednesday's 6-1 win over the Reds.
Happ extended his hitting streak to five games as he launched his 16th home run of the season in the eighth inning. The veteran outfielder has been batting lower in the order recently and has seen some steady improvement at the plate following a slow start to the season. Happ is now batting .258 over his last 10 games and .230 overall.
Happ (shin) is starting in left field and batting seventh Friday against the Orioles.
The outfielder was held out of the lineup Wednesday against the Brewers due to a bruised left shin, though he still appeared as a pinch hitter and went 1-for-2 with a solo homer. Happ has a .231/.318/.513 slash line with three homers and a stolen base in 12 games since the All-Star break.
Happ (shin) appeared as a pinch hitter and went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 10-3 win over the Brewers.
Happ suffered a bruised left shin during Tuesday's loss to Milwaukee, and while he didn't start Wednesday's game, the veteran was clearly healthy enough to play, as he launched his 15th home run of the season. The Cubs have an off day Thursday, which gives Happ another day to rest, and he should be in the starting lineup for Friday's contest against the Orioles.
Happ (shin) is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game in Milwaukee, but the Cubs don't anticipate him requiring a stint on the 10-day injured list, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
Happ was lifted from Tuesday's loss after fouling a ball off his left shin. While he'll take a seat for the series finale in Milwaukee, Happ could be ready to play Friday against the Orioles after Thursday's team off day. Seiya Suzuki will start in left field Wednesday and Moises Ballesteros will get a start at designated hitter.
Happ may need to spend time on the injured list after suffering a bruised left shin during Tuesday's loss to Milwaukee, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
X-rays on Happ's shin came back negative after the game, but with Moises Ballesteros reportedly set to be recalled from Triple-A on Wednesday, the writing is on the wall for Happ's move to the injured list. If the 30-year-old outfielder ends up on the shelf, the Cubs may look to move Seiya Suzuki into the field while using Ballesteros or Justin Turner as their designated hitter.
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