Bote homers in return from IL
David Bote hit a home run in his first game back from the injured list.
He had been out since May 29 with a dislocated left shoulder. The Cubs sent reliever Trevor Megill back to Iowa in the corresponding move.
Before the game, Bote talked about the uncertainty of coming back after a long injury. He played five games in Iowa on a rehab assignment.
"The first day of the game, I woke up and almost had a panic attack," he said. "Not really, but kind of, 'Oh my word, am I going to be able to do this again?' That thought is real. I have that same thought in spring training every year too. My first BP is like, 'Am I going to hit the ball?'
"I've been taking 150 swings or whatever and grinding in the off-season and doing all the things I do, but that first day back, you're like, 'Can I still do it?' Then you foul one off and it's like, 'This is what I remember it to be.' Then it's just getting timing back and getting into the flow of things and the competitive mindset.
"The biggest one is also like the 150 pre-pitch set ups out in the field. You don't realize those mini squats every day, 'Oh, yeah, that's tiring.'"
Bote slid past second base and dove back to touch it when the injury occurred. He talked about painful memory of the training staff taking him back to the clubhouse and popping his shoulder back in.
"That's the first time I ever experienced something like that, so it feels really good to be back," Bote said. "I missed playing. Ready to get going here. I had a good time in Iowa playing. ... The shoulder feels great. The training staff, we did a really good job and worked really hard."
Injury report:
Both Jake Arrieta (hamstring) and Rowan Wick (oblique) are planning to throw bullpen sessions Monday. Wick, who hasn't pitched for the Cubs this season, made some rehab appearances with Single-A South Bend and the plan is to move him up to Triple-A Iowa next. The Cubs will decide the next move with Arrieta after Monday's throwing session.
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