The Chicago Cubs are battling for playoff position as the final days of the regular season tick away. Unfortunately, they may be doing it without one of their stars. Javier Baez has been diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his thumb suffered last Sunday, and his timetable to return is currently unknown.
The Cubs are currently 2.5 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the N.L. Central lead and are ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks by a half-game for the second N.L. Wild Card spot. Baez has been having another quality season, hitting .281 with 29 home runs and a healthy dose of his regularly outstanding fielding.
Chicago needs all hands on deck for the stretch run. Monday will tell if Baez will be able to return in time to help make that push, but this is a big blow for a Cubs team on the edge.
