As Russell nears return, domestic-violence probe still hangs over him

By Gordon Wittenmyer

PHILADELPHIA — The Cubs should have most of their health issues resolved in time for the last four weeks of the season.

But conspicuously unresolved as the Cubs near September is Major League Baseball’s probe into the social-media allegation of domestic violence made against shortstop Addison Russell in early June. Sources said the investigation remains ‘‘ongoing,’’ with no word about its direction or progress filtering to the clubhouse.

Russell has been on the disabled list with a foot injury for most of the last month, but he will start a minor-league rehab assignment with Class AAA Iowa on Monday and might return within a week. The Cubs expect his daily presence to give them a boost during the heat of the playoff chase.

It’s unclear what’s preventing MLB from coming to a determination. Russell’s wife issued a statement through an attorney two weeks after a friend made the abuse allegation in an Instagram post, saying she had declined at that time to be interviewed by MLB about the matter. Russell and his wife have filed for divorce.

Manager Joe Maddon, who said he has heard so little about the subject that he thought it was over, said he isn’t concerned about how Russell — the youngest member of his every-day lineup — might handle the specter of the probe as it approaches the three-month mark in September.

‘‘I’m not getting that he’s being dragged down by anything right now,’’ Maddon said. ‘‘He seems fine to me. If, in fact, [the investigation is continuing], it does not seem to have an impact right now because we’re not hearing anything.’’

Russell, who had struggled for much of the season before suffering the injury, and reliever Justin Grimm (finger) traveled Sunday to join Iowa.

Russell’s agent, Scott Boras, has said in multiple conversations that he expects his client to be cleared by MLB.

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Email: gwittenmyer@suntimes.com