"We are still hopeful he returns," president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. "We need to make sure that can happen and get a plan in place. There are some steps to go before we get there."
The question remains, though: Is that a realistic expectation?
Zobrist, 38, has been on the restricted list since early May as he tends to personal matters following divorce filings. A timeline for his return remains unclear, though the Cubs acknowledged recently that it still won't be "anytime soon."
Zobrist was struggling mightily before stepping away from the game. He was hitting .241 with no homers, 10 RBIs and a .596 OPS in 99 plate appearances across 26 games.
Nonetheless, the Cubs know what his presence could mean.
"We will be getting leadership by example," outfielder Jason Heyward said. "Zo does so many great things. You look at his work ethic and composure. There are so many adjectives to describe his contributions. We get to see that by example. We get to see that and feed off of it. He has two rings and a contract. He does not care, because he always shows up and gives you his best."
The place Zobrist could be most helpful is atop the order, as outfielder Kyle Schwarber holds a .322 on-base percentage in 51 games leading off for the Cubs this season. Zobrist has a career .356 on-base percentage and posted a solid .343 mark in his brief stint earlier this season despite his struggles. Manager Joe Maddon also has an affinity for using Zobrist in the five-hole if he doesn't bat leadoff.
"We are missing one more consistent at-bat," Maddon said Sunday. "We are missing Zobrist. That is the perfect guy, but he will not be here anytime soon. Zo fits into what we want to do so well. We miss that, I believe. We could always rely on him for that professional at-bat at the beginning of the game or leading off in front of the other guys. What I mean by that is he would almost never expand his strike zone -- and I mean almost never."
After a disappointing 2017, Zobrist had a resurgent 2018, hitting .305 with nine homers, 58 RBIs, a .378 on-base percentage and an .817 OPS in 139 games.
Cubs teammates miss Zobrist on many different levels.
"He's a guy who truly knows who he is and wants to get the best out of himself," Schwarber said. "He has to get ready on both sides of the plate. You watch him and know he is one of the most prepared guys in the game. He is really good at sticking to what he wants out of that one at-bat. He really goes to battle with two strikes. Before that, he will not come out of his plan."