WASHINGTON – The Cubs lost a potential midseason upgrade to their lineup Sunday when Class AAA infielder Javy Baez suffered a broken finger in a game against Memphis.
One day after hitting a light-tower home run, Baez suffered a non-displaced fracture in his left ring finger when he jammed the hand stealing second base in Sunday’s seventh inning.
Baez, who already missed the first month of the season on family leave following the sudden death of his younger sister, s expected to miss four to eight weeks with the injury.
“That’s a kick in the butt for the kid, man,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “He’s been working so hard. He’s been doing so well.”
Baez, hitting .314 with eight home runs in 37 games for AAA Iowa, was playing his fifth game at third base as the Cubs groomed him for a possible fit in his eventual return to the big-league infield.
He made his big-league debut last season and spent the final two months of the season as the Cubs’ second baseman (.169, 95 strikeouts in 213 at-bats).
