The future is now for Anthony Rizzo, whos expected to make his highly anticipated debut in a Cubs uniform on Tuesday night at Wrigley Field.
Rizzo is leaving Triple-A Iowa and headed to Chicago, a major-league source confirmed, after being pulled from Mondays game in Des Moines.
The organizations top prospect was hitting .342 with 23 homers and 62 RBI in 70 games, eye-popping numbers that had fans and the media speculating for months about when he might be promoted.
Look for Rizzo to be playing first base and penciled into the middle of Tuesdays lineup against the New York Mets.
Cubs executives feel Rizzo, 22, is prepared to handle all the hype after struggling last season with the San Diego Padres.
In one way or another, Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer and Jason McLeod were involved in drafting Rizzo with the Boston Red Sox, packaging him in the Adrian Gonzalez deal and grabbing him again in the Andrew Cashner trade last winter.
By timing it this way, the Cubs have delayed Rizzos free agency and preserved an extra year of club control. They feel like he will be an offensive force, a potential Gold Glove defender and a strong clubhouse influence for years to come.
Stay with CSNChicago.com and tune in to Comcast SportsNet for the latest on this developing story.
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