After perhaps the most devastating loss of the 2023 season on Tuesday night, the Chicago Cubs' lineup will receive a much-needed boost with a stellar finish to the year likely necessary to make the postseason.
Corner infielder and trade deadline acquisition Jeimer Candelario has been activated from the 10-day injured list, likely playing Wednesday night for the first time since Sept. 10, when he left a contest against the Arizona Diamondbacks due to back tightness.
Not only does Candelario's return give the Cubs' lineup another bat that can change the climate of a game in one swing, his glove gives the North Siders a bit more stability on the defensive side.
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Candelario's absence has led to the Cubs reconfiguring their infield, with Cody Bellinger and Patrick Wisdom seeing time at first base while Wisdom and Miles Mastrobuoni have filled in playing time at the hot corner, as Nick Madrigal's absence has also adversely impacted the team's defensive corps.
Though Candelario was just 3-for-27 in September, the corner infielder has still served as an above-average bat for the Cubs since he was acquired, with 14 extra-base hits and 16 RBI with a .773 OPS.
In the corresponding move, the Cubs have optioned infielder Jared Young to the Arizona Complex League.
Following Tuesday's deflating loss in which the Cubs blew a 6-0 lead over the MLB-best Atlanta Braves, the North Siders will look to rebound at Truist Park at 6:20 p.m. local time, with Jameson Taillon taking the mound.
