LAS VEGAS _ Cubs shortstop Addison Russell has benefited from his rehab since being given a 40-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's domestic-violence policy, his agent, Scott Boras, said Wednesday.
"He's well into his therapy, and this process has been educational and defining for him."
MLB issued the suspension in October.
Russell issued a statement on Nov. 30 expressing his apologies to his ex-wife Melisa, the Cubs organization and fans _ the same day the Cubs tendered him a contract for the 2019 season. In the letter, Russell said he started to see his own therapist more than two months earlier and has been meeting regularly with experts and counselors.
Russell also hoped to work with nonprofit groups in Pensacola, Fla., Chicago and Arizona to "support their missions and become part of the solution."
Russell still has to complete his rehab before he's eligible for reinstatement on May 3. The Cubs are monitoring his program.
"Well, I think those are talent decisions that every club makes," Boras said when asked if he believed Russell would be on the Cubs' active roster on that date. "Obviously they tendered him a contract and he's their starting shortstop, so I would say they view him as a talent."
