Xavier Nady made his spring debut on Wednesday as the Cubs’ DH. Nady finished the game 1-for-2 with a walk. The Cubs’ projected fourth outfielder can hit but might not be able to throw at full strength until June. Nady is recovering from his second Tommy John surgery.
According to a report from ESPN Chicago, Xavier Nady “will still be able to play with his arm at less than 100 percent.” Nady is currently throwing at 120 feet.
The Cubs will “simply have to make some defensive adjustments, moving the cutoff men back to compensate” according to a report from Cubs.com. Xavier Nady did not put a timeframe on when he will be at 100 percent. He said when he feels comfortable he will let the ball fly. According to a report from Cubs.com, “the June 1 date is more to play and when a guy tags from third, try to throw him out at home.” June 1 would be almost 11 months since Nady’s last surgery.
Lou Piniella said they are going to be cautious with Nady early due to the cold weather. With Nady’s limits to begin the year, Sam Fuld has an advantage to make the Cubs’ roster over Micah Hoffpauir according to a report from the Tribune.
The Cubs will use Nady in the DH role for at least another week. They would like to get him some time in the outfield in the second half of the Cactus League schedule.
Piniella told the Tribune, the Cubs “don’t care about throwing, he can throw the ball to the second baseman or the shortstop.”
Stay Tuned …