(670 The Score) Cubs infielder Addison Russell will remain at Triple-A Iowa once his 40-game suspension is completed at the end of this week, president of baseball operations Theo Epstein told reporters Tuesday evening.
Russell is eligible to be activated and join the Cubs on Friday but instead will be officially optioned to Triple-A Iowa, where he has been on a seven-game rehab stint as his suspension winds down. Epstein classified the move as a baseball decision, though it goes without saying that Russell must continue to behave off the field as well. Russell was suspended last September for violating the league's joint domestic violence policy following allegations of abuse from his ex-wife.
Russell is expected to remain at Triple-A Iowa for a few more weeks as he looks to round into playing form, Sahadev Sharma of the Athletic tweeted.
Russell, 25, struggled in 2018, hitting .250 with five homers, 38 RBIs and a .657 OPS in 130 games. In his absence, Javier Baez has blossomed at shortstop, making the simple play better as manager Joe Maddon hoped for to accompany his highlight-reel abilities while also continuing his offensive dominance.
Earlier Tuesday, Maddon acknowledged that providing Baez positionally stability on the diamond has its merits. Maddon added the Cubs would give Baez a voice in the matter of where he plays positionally, meaning Russell could be ticketed to play second base when he does return.
"How do we do this with Javy?" Maddon said. "Of course, Javy's playing so well and he's been such a big part of this since last season and into this one and almost becoming MVP (in 2018), all this kind of stuff. There's a lot to consider. You have to consider the people, the person himself, the mindset, how's this going to be impactful. But you also have to consider what's best for the team. So there's a complicated conversation. It's not an easy one."
