Chicago Cubs Slugger In Danger of Missing Opening Day

The Chicago Cubs are waiting to find out more information about their prospective Opening Day third baseman.

The Chicago Cubs may have to get a bit creative with one of their corner infield positions when it comes to next week’s season opener against the Texas Rangers.

Patrick Wisdom was scratched from the Cubs’ spring training lineup on Tuesday due to back stiffness, which has been a persistent issue for him the past week and hasn’t played since Wednesday.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Wisdom was set to see a doctor. Manager Craig Counsell talked about the situation and said “there’s some concern” when it comes to his status for Opening Day.

Wisdom is considered one of the solutions at third base, though he has enough experience and versatility to play at first base and in the outfield.

He’s coming off a 2023 season in which he batted .205 with 23 home runs and 46 RBI. While with the Cubs, he’s had a light batting average — .214 — but he’s hit 76 home runs and driven in 173. In each of his three full seasons with Chicago, he’s hit at least 20 home runs.

In 2021, his rookie season, he blasted 25 home runs and drove in 66 to finish in fourth place in National League Rookie of the Year voting.

If Wisdom is unable to play Opening Day, one likely candidate to start there is Christopher Morel, who like Wisdom has pop in his bat. Morel, unfortunately, has a .967 fielding percentage at third base and it is his least proficient position.

The Cubs could also go with Nick Madrigal or Miles Mastrobuoni, and Wisdom’s status could influence how the final 26-man Opening Day roster shakes out.