Former Chicago Cubs Fan Favorite Set to Undergo Season-Ending Right Hip Surgery

The ex-Chicago Cubs star will miss the remainder of the 2025 campaign with a hip injury.

Aug 20, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Baez (28) is recognized prior to his first game back to Wrigley Field before facing the Chicago Cubs. / Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports

It's been a rough season for the Chicago Cubs and an even rougher year for former franchise all-time great Javier Baez.

Baez, a member of the Detroit Tigers, has continued to struggle in a big way.

The right-handed hitter used to be one of the best shortstops in Major League Baseball, but after a few seasons of disappointments, he's now viewed as the player with the worst contract in the league.

Unfortunately, his tough campaign has ended in the worst possible way. 

According to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, Baez will undergo season-ending right hip surgery.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch hopes this will help get the Cubs World Series Champion going.

"We've got to get him right," Hinch told reporters. "It'll be a long process, but hopefully, it'll be a successful one."

In 2024, Baez struggled at the plate, slashing .184/.221/.294 with 69 strikeouts in 272 at-bats.

During his time with Chicago, he struck out more than most hitters in baseball. He led the league in strikeouts the year he was traded, finishing with 184 in 502 at-bats.

However, unlike when he was with the Cubs, he also used to hit the long ball at a high rate. Baez finished with 34 home runs during the 2018 campaign, posting a 129 OPS+, earning his first All-Star nod.

The struggles have been prevalent over the past three years, perhaps because of this hip injury.

He'll have to prove he can produce at the level he used to, but it's also fair to suggest that he isn't as bad as he's played in recent seasons.

One of the greatest players to ever put on a Chicago jersey, hopefully, Baez will recover quickly and be ready to go in 2025.