August 26 update: Former Cubs Javier Báez, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Kyle chicago cubs flannel shirt Schwarber

chicago cubs mlb jersey ha Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images chicago cubs mlb jersey units

While we wait for the Cubs to open their weekend series against the Brewers in Milwaukee, let’s check in on our old World Series friends now playing for other teams.

Javier Báez

Since the last update in this series, Javy has gone into a bit of a slump, hitting just .182/.250/.182 (4-for-22) with no extra-base hits. He sat out the laMLB Backpacks st game of Detroit’s series against the Giants in San Francisco with some sort of back issue:

Javier Baez tweaked his back swinging in the cage shortly before game time. He’s day to day.

— Jason Beck (@beckjason) August 24, 2022

This will, without a doubt, be the worst year Javy has had since his late-season callup in 2014. Overall he’s hitting .224/.266/.370 with 11 home runs and 110 strikeouts.

Kris Bryant

KB hasn’t played since July 31, and here’s the latest:

Kris Bryant got a PRP injection to help with his plantar fasciitis. They’ll have another update in 7-10 days

— Danielle Allentuck (@d_allentuck) August 24, 2022

That was posted two days ago, so it should be around the first of September before we get an update on any progress he’s made. The Rockies visit Wrigley Field September 16-18. It’s entirely possible Bryant gets shut down fore the year before that.

He’s hit well when he’s played — .306/.376/.475 — but he has missed 86 of the Rockies’ 128 games.

Anthony Rizzo

Since the last update here, Rizzo has hit .265/.342/.382 (9-for-34) in nine games with one home run and 11 strikeouts.

He’s having a 2.2 bWAR season, which is decent enough, but he’s showing up negative in chicago cubs dress shirt defensive bWAR (-1.0).

Perhaps you can make something out of this short clip if you’re a lip reader.

Anthony Rizzo chirping at Francisco Lindor

(via @TalkinYanks)pic.twitter.com/QF7bEeWwic

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) August 23, 2022

Kyle Schwarber

Schwarber still leads the NL in home runs with 35 (as well as in strikeouts, 158). Since the last update: .235/.316/.412 (8-for-35) with a double, a triple (!) and a home run.

Here’s the triple, his first since 2019 [VIDEO].

The pitcher? Former Cub Rob Zastryzny, who in that game was making his first MLB appearance since 2018. You can’t make this stuff up. The Phillies sent in pinch-runner Garrett Stubbs for Schwarber, and he scored on a single.