When word first came out that Addison Russell had been scratched from Sunday’s Iowa Cubs lineup, speculation immediately turned to a trade in the offing. Some even wondered whether it might be a disciplinary action, but it appears people were just misinterpreting the signs.
Source I checked in with told me there's nothing to read into with Addison Russell being a scratch from today's lineup. #Cubs
— Tommy Birch (@TommyBirch) July 28, 2019
As it turns out, the reason for Russell’s removal was far more mundane: His equipment simply hadn’t arrived yet.