CHICAGO -- Chicago Cubs 2011 first-round pick Javier Baez is in the spotlight as he takes over at shortstop for the injured Addison Russell -- at least in the next round of the playoffs.
The bottom line is Baez can be every bit as effective as Russell but there’s a consistency to Russell’s game which Baez is searching for. It was interesting to hear manager Joe Maddon’s assessment of his new starting shortstop. He likened it to Russell’s progression several months ago as he came on strong, especially when moved from second base to shortstop.