Cubs activate OF Clint Frazier, place Michael Hermosillo on 10-day IL

The Chicago Cubs activated Clint Frazier from the 10-day injured list today, sending Michael Hermosillo back to the IL to create space on the active roster, per Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune. 

Brandon Hughes has also been sent back to Triple-A after being an emergency call-up because of the club’s COVID issues. Hughes. 26, was not on the 40-man roster.

The outfield situation for the Cubs will continue in a dynamic way for the foreseeable future. Seiya Suzuki, for instance, is out of the lineup with a sprained left finger, but he’s not expected to be out for long. Jason Heyward, meanwhile, is cleared for baseball activities and “ramping up” to return to the team, per Montemurro. Another move will be required when Heyward officially returns.

Frazier was a low-risk gamble for the Cubs this winter, but he has not been able to get going as of yet. In just 10 games, Frazier hit .143/.250/.238 in 24 plate appearances with intermittent playing time. Now that he’s returned, Frazier should at least return to his role as a short-side platoon player.

In the long run, that may be a role that Frazier and Hermosillo will compete for. Hermosillo is the stronger defender of the two, but Frazier, theoretically, has more upside. In 17 games so far, Hermosillo has slashed .071/.257/.107 across 35 plate appearances with the big league club. Regardless, the Cubs have to be intrigued by Hermosillo after he hit ..306/.446/.592 with their Triple-A club last season.