As expected, the Cubs placed Emilio Bonifacio on the 15-day disabled list Friday and activated Ryan Sweeney from the DL to take Bonifacio’s spot on the active roster.
Emilio Bonifacio was placed on the DL with a strained rib cage muscle.
Bonifacio had to be helped off the field Thursday after he collapsed in the batter’s box following his first at bat. Bonifacio hit Edinson Volquez’s second pitch of the game toward short. Bonifacio did not make it out of the box as replays showed him grimacing as he swung the bat. Bonifacio was helped to his feet and off the field by trainer P.J. Mainville. During the game the Cubs announced Bonifacio left with a right rib cage injury.
Emilio Bonifacio had cooled off after hitting .313/.365/.375 in April and was hitting only .216/.256/.297 in his last 11 games. Bonifacio was down to .266/.311/.344 for the season but was still seen as one of the players the front office would be able to trade prior to the deadline. Bonifacio has shown throughout the course of his career he is not an everyday player. Bonifacio’s skill set and flexibility fits better on a National League team and he could help a contender in the Senior Circuit win games.
The team has not announced a possible timeframe for Bonifacio’s return.
Ryan Sweeney was placed on the DL on May 3 with a right hamstring strain. Sweeney was beginning to show signs of getting out of his spring-long slump before he hurt his hamstring tracking down a ball in left center. Sweeney had hits in four of his last seven games prior to landing on the disabled list.
Sweeney played in only two rehab games and was 0-for-5 with a walk and a strikeout. And Sweeney was hitting .200/.262/.236 with two doubles in 20 games.