Cubs manager David Ross said Monday that infielder Nico Hoerner is "feeling much better" after being a late scratch from Sunday's game against the Angels with lower back tightness.
"He was fighting for me to put him in the lineup [Monday]," Ross told reporters in a Zoom session.
Hoerner, who's competing for the Cubs' starting second base job this spring, could return to the lineup Wednesday, Ross noted. With the Cubs having an off day Tuesday, the Cubs manager wanted to give the 23-year-old an extra day of rest.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Chicago sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Hoerner is off to a hot start offensively this spring. In seven games, he's 9-for-18 (.500) with four extra-base hits.