Depleted Cubs seek boost with return of Swanson, Hoerner

CHICAGO -- The Cubs have held their line through a long list of injury setbacks this season, leaning on their depth and staying within striking distance of the top of the National League Central. The past week has put Chicago’s resolve to the test.

In the wake of Sunday’s 3-2 loss to the Pirates, who took three of four in the series at Wrigley Field, Chicago’s players were looking forward to Monday’s off-day. And beyond that, there is the morale boost of having the Cubs’ Gold Glove middle-infield duo, Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner, back from injuries as soon as Tuesday.

“I feel like we've done a pretty good job kind of just weathering the storm until more recently,” Cubs starter Jameson Taillon said. “It felt like for a little while there, it was like we would pitch our way through some games. And when the pitching would struggle, we would hit our way through some games.

“Right now, maybe we're just kind of all going through it a little bit together. But it's a long season, and that kind of happens. It'll be nice to get Dansby and Nico back, for sure.”

The North Siders have lost five of their past seven games, hitting a collective .178/.279/.290 with an average of 2.4 runs per game against the Braves and Pirates. The Cubs were shut out twice in that span and picked up one of their wins with just one run. The two victories came in games started by Shota Imanaga (0.84 ERA) and Javier Assad (1.49 ERA), who rank first and third in the Majors in ERA, respectively.

No one is claiming that the returns of Swanson (on the 10-day injured list due to a right knee issue) and Hoerner (on the bench for the past six games with a left hamstring setback) is a cure-all for the offense. But the combination of their stellar defense and offensive skill sets enhances the run prevention and lengthens the lineup.

ESPN’s Jorge Castillo reported after Sunday’s loss that the Cubs also plan on promoting 24-year-old infielder Luis Vazquez (Chicago’s No. 13 prospect, per MLB Pipeline) to the Majors on Tuesday. The Cubs have not confirmed the news regarding Vazquez, who is Castillo’s cousin. The shortstop prospect has hit .262 with three homers, 11 RBIs and a .757 OPS in 39 games this year for Triple-A Iowa.

“We're hoping Tuesday that both [Swanson and Hoerner] are in the lineup,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “I don't think it means guarantees of scoring runs. We're probably going to face Max Fried on Tuesday or Chris Sale on Tuesday. That's a tough task.”

Given the offensive missteps of the past week, Counsell was quick to remind that Cubs have seen a line of strong starting pitching in this stretch. It began with Reynaldo López and Sale in Atlanta, and then continued with hard-throwing rookie standouts Jared Jones and Paul Skenes from the Pirates.

Over the past two games, it was lefty Bailey Falter (Saturday) and Mitch Keller (Sunday), who combined to hold the Cubs to two runs over 13 2/3 innings. Counsell said Chicago’s hitters didn't adjust quickly enough against Falter. Facing Keller, the lineup went into a lull and managed just a pair of sacrifice flies.

“It was a quiet day,” Counsell said. “We just didn't put enough pressure on them.”

There are a few aspects ailing the Cubs’ offense at the moment.

• Cubs catchers (Yan Gomes and Miguel Amaya) entered Sunday batting a combined .185 with a 45 wRC+ (second-lowest in MLB). That means they have hit 55% below MLB average. In Sunday’s loss, Amaya went 0-for-3

• Left fielder Ian Happ’s 0-for-4 showing on Sunday gave him a .208 average and .625 OPS on the season. His homer on Thursday offered hope that a turnaround was coming, but Happ is batting .193 (.584 OPS) in May.

• Outfielder Mike Tauchman tripled and scored in Sunday’s loss, but has hit .203 with a .300 on-base percentage in May. That drop-off follows his strong start to the season, which included a .307 average and .435 OBP through April.

• Miles Mastrobuoni (.372 OPS) and Nick Madrigal (.546 OPS) have had good moments as fill-ins while Swanson and Hoerner have been sidelined but have struggled overall at the plate. They went a combined 0-for-5 with a walk on Sunday.

The Cubs are hoping the returns of Swanson and Hoerner can help the team turn the page on this stretch.

“A lot of baseball left. We’ve just gotta put it behind us,” Cubs center fielder Cody Bellinger said. “It seems that [Swanson and Hoerner] are close. Obviously, those two guys are tremendous baseball players that help us win. They're just winning ballplayers. It’ll be great once we get them back. For them, just come back when they’re healthy.”