Luis Valbuena and Ryan Sweeney on track to rejoining the Chicago Cubs

Luis Valbuena is among one of the recent signings to be having a career year this season.

In his five years in the majors, Valbuena has a career high 10 home runs and 31 RBI’s with the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians and now Chicago Cubs.

This season he has hit nine home runs and tied his career high in RBI’s at 31. His base on balls has reached a career high with 43 walks this season in 285 at-bats. Last season Valbuena had 90 at bats with only four home runs and 28 RBI’s and a batting average of .219 on the season. So his numbers are steadily improving now that he’s on a club where he can actually start.

As a Chicago Cubs fan, Valbuena is one of my favorite left handed batters on the roster. I know we have Anthony Rizzo, Nate Schierholtz and switch-hitting catcher Dioner Navarro (both Nate and Dioner having a career year), but Valbuena is that small guy in the line up who can drive the ball 20-30 ft over the fence.

The man stands at only 5’10 and weighs around 170 pounds, so he’s not the biggest guy on the team but has a lot of pop in his bat almost every at bat.

Now Ryan Sweeney is two home runs from tying his career high, hitting four this season. His RBI totals for this season aren’t that great, only at 15 on the year with his career high being 53.

Both players played for the Chicago Cubs rookie league affiliate where they both recorded a double and an RBI.

Valbuena finished the game 2-3 while Sweeney finished 2-5. Valbuena has been sidelined since August 3rd with a strained right oblique, Sweeney has been out since June with fractured ribs. He’s 2-10 with two walks in three rehab games so far.

Both men are on track for rejoining the Chicago Cubs once again as soon as rosters are able to expand.