Prior to Thursday’s finale in Pittsburgh, the Cubs announced OF Jorge Soler had been activated from the 15-day disabled list. Soler was placed on the DL on Aug. 24 with a left oblique strain.
With Soler back from the disabled list, the Cubs active roster stands at 35 players, 18 pitchers (five starters, 13 relievers) and 17 position players.
Jorge Soler was sent on a rehab assignment to High-A Myrtle Beach on Sept. 11. Soler appeared in four games, three in the Mills Cup Championship Series, and was 3-for-13 with two doubles, three walks, two runs scored and one RBI.
Prior to his second stint on the DL, Soler was showing improvement in the field and at the plate. After hitting .260/.314/.388 with 14 doubles, a triple and four home runs for a .702 OPS in his first 57 games of the season, Soler was batting .274/.345/.379 with four doubles and three home runs for a .724 OPS since the break.
In August, Soler was 19-for-67 with a double, two home runs, nine walks and 17 strikeouts for a .284/.372/.388 line with a .760 OPS.
For the season, Soler has played in a career-high 90 games and batted .265/.325/.385 with 18 doubles, a triple and seven home runs for a .710 OPS.
It is unclear how Joe Maddon will use Jorge Soler over the final two-plus weeks of the regular season.
The Cubs sent Soler on the rehab assignment to ensure he was ready for game action prior to activating him from the DL. Soler will likely have to earn playing time with the way Chris Coghlan and Austin Jackson have played in his absence plus Coghlan fits better into the mix in the outfield right now than in the infield with Javier Baez, Starlin Castro and Tommy La Stella producing at the plate.
Joe Maddon will have another very good option to choose from and utilize on a daily basis.
• Jorge Soler’s Page on Baseball-Reference