Cubs rumors: Marcus Stroman’s future, Bellinger injury, and more

Cubs rumors: Cody Bellinger expected to return Friday night

Cody Bellinger injured his knee several days ago making a fantastic leaping catch in the outfield to rob the Astros of a home run. Bellinger hit the wall and fell to the ground but was able to secure the ball and subsequently, the out. It was an on-brand moment for Bellinger who has left it all out on the field in this reclamation year.

Bellinger has been out since the incident on May 15, but was available off the bench on Wednesday night. Before that, he was expected to be likely available if the Cubs felt they needed him on Tuesday, too, though that didn’t come to bear.

All signs at this point indicate Bellinger, with the extra rest day on Thursday, should be ready to go for Friday night’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Bellinger joined the Cubs on a one-year prove-it deal to reset his reputation. After winning NL MVP with the Dodgers in 2019, he looked like an imposter of himself in the three years following with a slash line of .203/.272/.376. This year, he’s back in form at .271/.337/.493.

So far, it’s panned out as a smart move for the Cubs and a wise change of scenery for Bellinger, who will likely earn himself a decent multi-year contract after this year.

Bellinger has already eclipsed his offensive WAR from last season, and is 20 percent of the way to his defensive WAR from last year. It’ll be good for the Cubs to have him back, a needed boost of energy to help them get their mojo back.