The Chicago Cubs are hopeful that Cody Bellinger, their center fielder, will soon be able to be listed on the lineup card.

On Monday, Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell provided media with an update regarding the health of several injured players, including Cody Bellinger, the center fielder.

As he gets ready to come off the injured list, Bellinger, who has two fractures to his right rib cage, jogged the bases and engaged in other baseball-related activities. When is the question.

Counsell thinks Bellinger might be back in the starting lineup for this weekend’s road trip against the Pittsburgh Pirates, which gets underway on Friday, according to the Chicago Tribune.

If there are no setbacks, that would mean the slugger would not have to report for rehab.

On April 23, while playing the Houston Astros at Wrigley Field, Bellinger ran into the wall and broke his ribs.At the time, he was tracking a foul ball. A few innings later, he departed the game due to right side discomfort.

Testing revealed no damage at first. However, the following day’s MRI showed the fractures, thus the Cubs put him on the 15-day injured list.

Bellinger’s return to the club is expected to occur in mid-May, so this road trip activation, which also includes a stop in Atlanta the following week, would be a little earlier than expected.

Bellinger’s current batting average is.226; but, in his seven games prior to the injury, he was hitting.346 with a.433 on-base percentage and a.769 slugging percentage. He had five runs, four walks, and three home runs in that time. He also had seven RBI.

Counsell reports that outfielder Seiya Suzuki will require a rehab assignment prior to being activated. In addition, he played baseball and ran bases while healing from a right oblique strain he sustained on April 14 against the Seattle Mariners.