Nick Madrigal has not had a good start to his Cubs career. In 23 games he’s batting just .203/.250/.241 (16-for-79) with three doubles and 14 strikeouts, a far cry from the consistent .300 hitter he was with the White Sox, in the minor leagues and in college.
Now, we might know what’s causing some of that hitting trouble as the Cubs placed Madrigal on the 10-day injured list late Tuesday with a low back strain. To replace Madrigal on the 26-man active roster, the Cubs recalled infielder Ildemaro Vargas from Triple-A Iowa. Vargas needed to be added to the 40-man roster, so to make room on that roster, righthander Adrian Sampson was designated for assignment.