Bellinger being used as DH for now as finger still causing issues

CHICAGO -- Cody Bellinger used a short, compact swing to send the high-and-tight fastball he received from hard-throwing Twins reliever Griffin Jax into left field on Monday night. It was a late attempt to spark a rally, but the Cubs’ comeback bid ended with that ninth-inning single.

“It’s tough,” Bellinger said after the 3-0 loss to Minnesota. “Today is one of those days where it’s just, you just got beat. Tip your hat a little bit to the guys that we faced.”

The Cubs have been playing better over the course of the past month, but losses against a team in playoff position like the Twins continue to show how much work remains to even claw back into the National League Wild Card fringe. The North Siders currently sit seven games behind the last Wild Card slot.

Bellinger understands that he will play a key part in any progress Chicago makes over these final two months.

Bellinger’s importance to the Cubs’ lineup surely factored into his decision to return from the injured list on July 29, even as his fractured right middle finger is still presenting problems. For now, Cubs manager Craig Counsell has been utilizing Bellinger as the designated hitter, where he will remain at least through the rest of this series against the Twins.

“He’s still struggling throwing. And that tells you he’s still feeling it hitting,” Counsell said. “When he tries to make throws with intent, it’s not very enjoyable. That’s the best way to say it. We’re making progress. It’s just, it’s going a little slower.”

Even when Bellinger is deemed ready to return to the field, do not expect him to take over for rookie Pete Crow-Armstrong in center. The Cubs plan on giving Crow-Armstrong “the lion’s share” of action up the middle down the stretch, given his ongoing development and role in the future of the team.

“Regardless of what happens the rest of the season,” Counsell said, “good, bad, in-between, I think Pete’s going to play center field.”

That means Bellinger would get his eventual action in the field between right and left field or first base. With the DH slot, there is plenty of flexibility for Counsell to rotate Bellinger with Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Mike Tauchman and Michael Busch.

Bellinger could have taken more time to heal and get closer to all-around readiness, but he felt he could impact the offense. His 1-for-4 showing on Monday night gave him a .321 (9-for-28) showing in the batter’s box in his seven games since coming back from the 10-day IL. That includes a pair of home runs, one double and six RBIs.

“I feel like it was good enough, you know?” Bellinger said. “Last year with my knee, I couldn’t play at a certain percentage because I couldn't run. Where [with] this, I felt like it was good enough. And my swing was feeling pretty good going in. You never know until you get live ABs consistently, but it was one of those things where I felt like I could’ve rolled [with it] and tried to help the team win.”

In Monday’s loss, the North Siders just ran into a strong contingent of Minnesota arms.

Twins starter David Festa leaned heavily on his fastball and changeup and racked up nine strikeouts over five scoreless innings. A quartet of Twins relievers followed with a combined four scoreless frames, during which Chicago managed only two hits. Happ doubled off Jhoan Duran in the eighth and Bellinger singled in the ninth -- to no avail.

Overall this season, Bellinger has hit .274/.330/.424 with 11 home runs, 16 doubles, 43 RBIs and 44 runs scored in 86 games for the Cubs. He also missed time between April and May due to a pair of fractured ribs in his right side. That first injury may explain his diminished slugging percentage since mid-May.

Now, Bellinger is trying to manage hitting with the finger issue, knowing what is at stake for the Cubs.

“It’s getting better,” he said. “So I’m just going to keep on rolling with it.”

“Look, he’s playing with an issue right now,” Counsell said. “And he’s done a good job with it. You’ll see some moments during the game or a swing or kind of the way the ball comes off the bat that it hurts. It doesn’t feel good. But he’s been able to manage it and stay in there and contribute.”