Theo Epstein addressed the Ian Stewart situation on Thursday and said the team has no intention of releasing him from his contract. The Cubs suspended Stewart for 10 games without pay for derogatory comments he made about the organization on Twitter. Stewart is due to return to the Iowa Cubs on Saturday when the team opens a four-game series in Memphis.
During an interview on ESPN 1000 in Chicago, Epstein acknowledged that Stewart was appealing his suspension but the team has not formally received an update on the appeal.
Theo Epstein said Ian Stewart “hasn’t lived up to our expectations” but admitted that he “is a human being and his career is at stake.” Epstein said the team is not upset with Stewart. Epstein thinks he just made a mistake that he apologized for “and he deserves a second chance if he comes back with the right attitude and hopefully restores his career.”
Epstein explained that the organization had no choice but to take action after what Stewart said in a public forum and he is hopeful that Stewart can get his career back on track.
Iowa’s manager, Marty Pevey, talked about when Stewart would return to the I-Cubs’ lineup. Pevey said it would likely be a few games after he is eligible to return from suspension. Pevey indicated that Stewart “would probably need a few days” to prepare to play again. Pevey is excited to have Stewart back but does not “want to run him out there not in shape.”