Cubs' Rizzo says Souza's personality will be missed
While praising Jason Kipnis' fun personality, Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo also gave a plug to Steven Souza Jr., a player the Cubs sent back to South Bend after Game 1 against St. Louis on Saturday.
"Losing Souza yesterday, we're losing a big personality and a big guy on the bench for us that gives good energy," Rizzo said Sunday. "We're going to have to make up for that these next two months."
Souza might be back before the season ends, but he was just 4 for 27 at the plate (.148) this season and had a tough at bat Saturday when he struck out looking with the bases loaded and nobody out in the second inning of Game 1. He also had a stint on the injured list with a hamstring issue.
The Cubs were hoping Souza was ready for a bounce-back year after missing all of 2019 with a nasty knee injury. Manager David Ross talked about having to explain the roster decision.
"I've had to do a couple of those lately," Ross said. "It's awful. It's such a short season, it doesn't even define who he is to me, honestly. You can't define somebody on 30 at bats with an injury in between. It's terrible. It's not fun at all.
"You don't know when something like that ends somebody's career, somebody's livelihood, that has a family. That freaking stinks."