Cubs not promising anything to Addison Russell as his suspension comes to an end

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By the time the Cubs walk into Wrigley Field next, Addison Russell's name could be in the starting lineup.

The embattled shortstop began his minor-league assignment Wednesday night and is eligible to return from his 40-game domestic violence suspension next Friday, May 3 as the Cubs open up their next homestand by hosting the St. Louis Cardinals.

There's no guarantee Russell will be on the Cubs' roster by that point, but he has checked all the boxes laid out for him so far on his conditional second chance with the team.

"We're taking this day-to-day, which is appropriate," Theo Epstein said before the final game of the Cubs' current homestand Thursday. "This is one situation where it is not appropriate to get ahead of the story. Addison has a lot of work to do going forward. There's no finish line here.

"He's been compliant, he's put a lot of work in away from the field to try to grow as a person and improve his relationships and to this point, he has started to get results, which is really important for him and - more importantly - for the people in his life. That work continues. It's a day-to-day process of him putting that work in and him living up to the standards that we've set up.

"Now that he's begun his minor-league assignment, there are baseball considerations that start to creep in, but it's not as important as the work that he's doing off the field. He's in what amounts to a spring training of sorts where he's getting ready to return to play."

Epstein reiterated that "nothing is promised" to Russell and the Cubs will determine what is best for the entire organization when his seven-day stint in the minor leagues is completed next Wednesday.

Epstein said he has spent a lot of time talking to Russell and those in his life and the Cubs president of baseball operations believes there have been positive results in the young player's life away from baseball. He also reiterated to Russell that just because he's moving from the team's complex in Arizona to Triple-A Iowa does not mean a comeback is complete. There's still work to be done.

"His progress is that he's put in significant and necessary work to grow as a person and to improve his relationships to become a better father, a better partner, a better citizen, a better member of the organization," Epstein said. "But the majority of the work lies ahead. There is no finish line. He needs to continue to work.

"Thus far, he's taken things earnestly. He has put in a significant amount of work because he needed to and we'll continue to hold him to that. From the work that I've put in, I think the people around him in his life have noticed a positive change, which is important. He shouldn't win any awards for that; he doesn't deserve any plaudits.

"But I think that's important. With the decision that we made, we're looking for positive outcomes and having better relationships and more stability and something that's really positive."

A lot can happen over the course of the next week, but there will be implications far beyond Russell himself.

How will the fans react when he is announced for the first time at Wrigley Field? Who gets sent down to the minor leagues to create room for Russell on the 25-man roster? Does Javy Baez automatically move off shortstop to accommodate Russell?

We don't know the answers to any of that yet. All that's certain right now is the Cubs have a two-city, five-game road trip coming up with stops in Arizona and Seattle. And when they return to Chicago, Russell will be eligible.

He was initially able to come off the restricted list for the Cubs' May 1 game in Seattle, but the snowout at Wrigley Field on April 14 pushed the suspension back one more game plus next Thursday's off-day.

So now, instead of playing his first MLB game since Sept. 19 on the road, he'll have to immediately face the music in Chicago.

But that's if the Cubs call him up right away. Epstein acknowledged the team can decide to option Russell to the minor leagues after his seven-day assignment is completed.

"I told him the other day - seven days does not necessarily get somebody ready for a season," Epstein said. "If we don't feel like he's ready to come up here and contribute and help us win, then we're gonna do the right thing for the organization. Period.

"But that's getting ahead of the story. This is not to the point where he has successfully completed his minor-league assignment yet."

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