MLB Rumors: Cardinals trade, Jacob deGrom injury, Cubs benching
By Mark Powell
MLB Rumors: Nick Madrigal doesn’t help his case with Cubs
Nick Madrigal was part of the Craig Kimbrel trade, which sent the star closer to the White Sox. Madrigal hasn’t been a stable part of the Chicago infield, and when he’s made appearances, he’s often frustrated fans.
That continued on Monday night despite Chicago’s resounding win. Madrigal ignored a stop sign from the third-base coach and was easily thrown out at the plate.
Dudes running through stop signs to get thrown out at home by a mile is always funny pic.twitter.com/HbfY3pDy92
— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) April 18, 2023
It’s relatively small errors in judgement like that one which can keep a fringe roster player from receiving opportunities in the first place. Chicago is under no obligation to play Madrigal, as their infield has few holes at the moment. When everyone is healthy, the former trade target could be relegated to the bench.
Patrick Wisdom is starting to hit for power, and Edwin Rios has received the bulk of playing time at third base of late. Monday was Madrigal’s first start since last week.
Why would David Ross feel obligated to start Madrigal again after a base-running mistake? As someone coming off the bench, the 26-year-old cannot afford such blunders.