Cubs have no good news on the Addison Russell injury front

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As the Cubs get ready to maneuver the next month or so without Willson Contreras, they still don't know when they'll get their starting shortstop back and now they're down Ben Zobrist, too.

Zobrist was scratched from Monday's lineup with neck tightness, though he was said to be available off the bench.

But Addison Russells injury is more puzzling. He was due to come off the disabled list over the weekend, but he's still not ready to return to the field and the Cubs are not sure when his foot issue will clear up.

Russell stood at his locker the day he was placed on the shelf and said he didn't think the injury was serious and expected to be back right when the 10-day designation was up.

"I have not heard anything positive in regard to him being back anytime soon," manager Joe Maddon said before Monday's game against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field.

The 23-year-old has not played since Aug. 2 and did not travel with the team on their recent West Coast road trip.

"He's coming along slowly," GM Jed Hoyer said. "No real updates. As cliche as it is, we'll sort of take it day by day and see how he feels.

"He's feeling better, but we're not at a point now where a return is imminent. Hopefully he keeps getting better and better and then gets out on the field."

Russell has been doing some light agility work and has gotten in the batting cage a little bit, but the foot injury appears to be more sinister than the Cubs initially thought.

"It was a muscular thing with his foot and then a little bit of plantar fasciitis," Hoyer said. "The snyopsis is his foot was really bothering him and it was painful to play. 

"That's gotten better and better, but it's still not at a place where we feel like we might not have a setback."

Javy Baez has been playing everyday at shortstop in Russell's absence and while Baez made a key error Saturday in Arizona, he also crushed a big three-run homer in Sunday's victory and went 5-for-12 during the three-game series.

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