(670 The Score) Cubs veteran infielder/outfielder Ben Zobrist is taking a key first step toward a return to action this season.
Zobrist has told the team he's ready to return to baseball and hopes to start a rehab assignment in the minor leagues or partake in rehab-like games soon, perhaps as early as next weekend, president of baseball operations Theo Epstein told reporters Friday evening. Zobrist has been away from the Cubs since early May on personal leave of absence as he goes through divorce proceedings.
Zobrist has been working out on his own, Epstein said. He has been on the restricted list while away from the Cubs. He needs to be off of it by Aug. 31 to be playoff-eligible, which means Sept. 1 could be a target date for his return to the big leagues.
Zobrist, 38, was the MVP of the World Series when the Cubs broke their 108-year championship drought in 2016. He struggled earlier this season before stepping away, hitting .241 with a .596 OPS and just one extra-base hit in 83 at-bats. His .253 slugging percentage is the lowest of any position player on the team.
Even so, the Cubs' bench has been a black hole for long stretches, so the return of Zobrist could be helpful even if he only fills a minor role.
Time and again, Cubs officials have expressed how much Zobrist means to the team.
"We've missed his gravitas and missed his at-bats," general manager Jed Hoyer said Thursday. "We've missed his leadership, for sure. We'd love to have him back. We're kind of cautiously optimistic that he will be back, but I don't really have anything definitive to add."
