The Chicago Cubs are set to begin their domestic Opening Day on Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field, but they might be without one of their key bench players.
Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reported on X that middle infielder/outfielder Vidal Brujan could start the season on the injured list after injuring his right elbow while attempting to make a catch against the outfield wall over the weekend.
Brujan, 27, was once ranked as the No. 3 overall second base prospect by MLB Pipeline while with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2021. The players ranked ahead of him were Nick Gonzales of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Nick Madrigal of the New York Mets.
The Dominican-born player has had a tough time at the plate in his MLB career, posting a .189 batting average with five home runs in 202 games. After spending parts of three seasons with the Rays from 2021 to 2023, Tampa Bay traded Brujan to the Miami Marlins in November 2023. However, his time with the Marlins was short-lived, and they traded him to the Cubs in December for first baseman Matt Mervis and cash considerations.
If Brujan does need to be placed on the 10-day IL to start the season, the Cubs could turn to bench players like third baseman/second baseman Jon Berti and third baseman Gage Workman for additional playing time.
Brujan has no remaining minor league options, meaning that if the Cubs send him down at any point during the 2025 season, they risk another team claiming him off waivers.
One area where Brujan has shown improvement is his defensive versatility, having played at every position except catcher, with even two appearances as a pitcher in blowout games.
