The Chicago Cubs had been hit with some dangerous information Wednesday when Cody Bellinger landed on the 10-day injured listing with two fractured ribs. He suffered the harm crashing into the wall Tuesday night time, and it occurred simply as he was getting sizzling on the plate. Bellinger was 10 for 30 (.333) with three homers in his final eight video games after going 9 for 54 (.167) in his first 14 video games.
Each harm creates a possibility although, and to exchange Bellinger, the Cubs referred to as up high prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong. The person they name PCA made his MLB final September, going 0 for 14 on the plate whereas principally getting used as a pinch-runner and defensive substitute. Crow-Armstrong was hitting solely .203/.241/.392 in Triple-A on the time of his name up.
Thursday afternoon, Cubs supervisor Craig Counsell put Crow-Armstrong within the beginning lineup in opposition to Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros (CHC 3 HOU 1), and the 22-year-old rewarded his supervisor’s religion with a go-ahead two-run house run in opposition to Rafael Montero within the sixth inning that might function the successful runs. In a single swing PCA picked up his first profession hit, first profession house run, and first profession RBI.
The Cubs are additionally with out Seiya Suzuki, who’s out with an indirect pressure, so there’s an opportunity Crow-Armstrong will get quantity of enjoying time these subsequent few weeks. Ian Happ and Mike Tauchman are going to play every single day. The lefty hitting Crow-Armstrong and righty hitting Alexander Canario determine to platoon within the different outfield spot in the interim.
“Pete’s right here due to accidents, proper? When these guys get wholesome, there’s in all probability not going to be a spot for him,” Counsell mentioned after Crow-Armstrong was referred to as up (by way of MLB.com). “And so, from that perspective, we’re perhaps taking a timeout (from his minor league improvement). However I nonetheless suppose huge league at-bats, huge league competitors, that is improvement, too. It might not be on an on a regular basis foundation right here, however there’s nonetheless issues to be taught. And actually, the precedence goes to be successful video games, and we’ll put him in spots that hopefully assist us do this.”
Our R.J. Anderson ranked Crow-Armstrong the sixteenth finest prospect in baseball coming into the season. This is his write-up:
Crow-Armstrong, acquired from the Mets on the 2021 deadline for Javier Báez, is without doubt one of the sport’s finest younger defensive outfielders. He strikes nicely and throws nicely, and he needs to be in rivalry for a Gold Glove Award starting in 2024. That a lot is definite. What’s much less positive is how Crow-Armstrong will carry out offensively. He is realized to raise the ball with larger frequency as a professional, however he is paid lease on it within the type of a rising strikeout charge. It is in all probability cheap to consider Crow-Armstrong’s outlook as being one thing akin to Harrison Bader’s days with the Cardinals. There are worse fates.
Crow-Armstrong was the No. 19 choose within the 2020 draft. His mother and father are actors and his mom, Ashley Crow, appeared within the movie “Little Large League” in addition to the TV present “Heroes.”
