By Jordan Bastian | 34 minutes ago
CHICAGO — A tarp covered the infield at Wrigley Field Monday night after a cold rain swept through the area. Christopher Morel entered the field, spotted a group of security guards, smiled widely and walked over to say hello.
“He’s always smiling. He’s always happy,” said Cubs first baseman Matt Mervis. “Greet all. He’s the happiest guy to be in the dressing room every day. It’s really impressive.”
And the cold wind and raindrops couldn’t wipe that smile off Morel’s face. This was no ordinary day and these were no ordinary greetings. Morel was back in the big leagues after tearing his way through triple-A pitching with Iowa plus last month.
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Before Monday’s game against the rival Cardinals, the Cubs brought back Morel from Iowa and selected outfielder Nelson Velázquez as the same partner. How and when Morel will be incorporated into the mix is yet to be determined, but he has yet to prove himself in the Minors.
“He proved Triple-A is better than this league,” said Cubs manager David Ross, “and deserves a chance here.”
In 29 games with the I-Cubs, 23-year-old Morel hit a robust .330/.425/.730 slash line. He hit 11 homers and added nine doubles and a pair of triples. Morel hit 31 carries and racked up 31 RBIs while hopping between all three outfield points and third base.
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Morel said he focused on making productive contact given his struggles with strikes. He was still hitting at a 30.6 percent rate with Iowa, but balanced that with a 12.7 percent walk rate and overwhelming power on the balls he hit.
“Everyone knows I have a problem with my strikeouts,” Morel said. “I made adjustments. I tried to have good bats, make more contact, put the ball more into play. I’ve been working on that. Thank god for that. I worked on it and made it. I am here.”
Mervis – who got the call on The Show on Friday after his own strong start with Iowa – said “it was crazy to see Morel’s performance.”
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“Every at-bat was a good at-bat,” Mervis said. “Against some of the better pitchers we’ve seen, it ended with a bullet RBI double off the big wall to left or a home run. It was always productive. With every shot you just knew Morel was going to do something good.”
Just days ago, Jed Hoyer, president of baseball operations at Ross and Cubs, downplayed a possible promotion for Morel. The message was that given Chicago’s stable lineup and lineup of major leagues, there was no clear path to regular at-bats.
Ross was asked on Monday what had changed that led to Morel’s arrival. The manager explained that the decision was partly based on a desire to get Velázquez out of his bench role and go back to playing every day with the I-Cubs. Beyond that, Morel’s numbers were no longer undeniable.
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Morel did not start Monday in his first return game with the Cubs. In the future, he may offer an option for multiple infield and outfield positions, or as a designated hitter. Ross wasn’t sure how it would turn out.
“I don’t know if there’s this big trail for everyday bats,” Ross said. “[Having] Some ability to meddle with Mo from time to time will likely be the part, more than everyday attacks for sure.”
Last year, Morel joined the Cubs out of necessity on May 17, and the rookie hit a memorable home run in his first career at bat. He went on to hit .235/.308/.433 with 16 homers in 113 games in which he became a fan favorite not only for his power but also for his infectious personality and energy.
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That was made clear again on the Monday before the game when several teammates lit up upon seeing Morel in the clubhouse. After a potentially demoralizing demotion to Triple-A earlier in the season, Morel had returned after forcing the Cubs’ hand.
“I had no problem with that,” Morel said of the start of the season at Triple-A. “They sent me to Iowa and I just stayed positive. I just trusted God and trusted myself that I would be returning to the big leagues soon. That was my mentality every day I went to the stadium.”