Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras hasn’t played since August 30 with a left ankle injury.
The progress has been slower than expected, as Contreras’ ankle has taken too long to heal.
Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune had a recent update on Contreras’ health.
“Willson Contreras is still progressing slowly with his left ankle. Ross said Contreras could still be a week or so away from returning,” she tweeted.
Willson Contreras is still progressing slowly with his left ankle. Ross said Contreras could still be a week or so away from returning. #Cubs
— Meghan Montemurro (@M_Montemurro) September 16, 2022
Contreras is still a part of the Cubs franchise because the team didn’t like any of the offers it received for him before the trade deadline.
He is slated to hit free agency after the season, and with Chicago out of the race for the postseason, it made sense to trade him for at least a mid-level prospect.
Against common sense, they decided to keep him.
Contreras remains a top offensive catcher even as he enter his thirties.
Impressive Offensive Performance
This season, he has a cool .822 OPS, a .246 batting average, 63 runs, 21 homers, 54 RBI, and four stolen bases in limited action.
Few catchers in baseball can match that kind of offensive upside.
Additionally, he is also a strong defensive catcher, and thanks to his two-way excellence, he has earned 3.1 Wins Above Replacement (WAR).
Ideally, Contreras is the kind of player the Cubs would love to build around: he knows the franchise, teammates love him, and fans adore him, too.
However, the most likely scenario is that the Cubs will be outbid for his services in free agency.
He still has a decent chance to return to Chicago, but other squads will also be in on him.
For now, though, his priority is getting healthy and returning for the final few games of the season.
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