CINCINNATI – Manager David Ross’ in-game decisions will be under a microscope like they haven’t been in his first three years in this seat. But he said he sees expectations as a good thing.
“Maybe no one else had expectations [before],” Ross said Tuesday, “but I don’t ever step foot out here with this group of guys, or the group last year or the year before, without an expectation to win on a nightly basis.”
Social media was ablaze Monday evening with Cubs fans’ takes on Ross leaving starter Drew Smyly in the game for 4 ⅔ innings and having Patrick Wisdom bunt in a 3-1 count with runners on first and second in the Cubs’ 7-6 loss to the Reds.
“I also know part of sitting in this seat and part of part of the job is [I’m] going to get scrutinized,” Ross said. “And I’m at home doing the same thing to myself, and replaying it, and asking all my coaches and the front office, having those conversations: ‘What would you have done differently? Here was my thought process. Did I miss the boat on something?’”
In those conversations, he also is aware of possible outcome bias. The question is, regardless of the result, was the process correct?
More firsts
Cincinnati was the site of more Cubs firsts Monday, as Cody Bellinger, Eric Hosmer and Tucker Barnhart recorded their first hits with their new squad.
“The first one is always nice to get out of the way,” Hosmer said. “It’s a sense of relief.”
It was only Barnhart’s second regular season game as a Cub, but Bellinger and Hosmer had gone a combined 0-for-18 to start the season. They broke those mini hitless streaks in a big way.
Bellinger hit a three-run home run and Hosmer went 3-for-5 in the Cubs’ 7-6 loss Monday.
Evening out the Cubs newcomers’ production at the plate was shortstop Dansby Swanson, who entered play Tuesday leading the league in batting average (.588). Swanson became the first Cub in the modern era with at least three three-hit games in the team’s first four games of the season.
Leeper undergoes arm surgery
Cubs minor-league pitcher Ben Leeper underwent Tommy John surgery, the team confirmed.
“Sometimes the plan you’ve drawn up doesn’t always align with the one God has in store for you,” Leeper posted to Instagram this week. “Over the past year, I’ve been trying to push through this to achieve what I’ve always dreamed of doing. … The best is still in front of me. See y’all in 2024 with a new arm.”
The Cubs invited Leeper to major-league spring training this year, after posting a 4.50 ERA in Triple-A last season. The Cubs signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2020, when the MLB Draft was only five rounds. At that point, he had already undergone surgery twice to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.
Wisdom in starting lineup
Wisdom was in the lineup again Tuesday, after taking a pitch off his wrist the day before. X-rays came back negative.
“Dodged a bullet,” Wisdom said. “Well, I didn’t really dodge it.”
Suzuki update
Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki (strained left oblique) was scheduled to serve as the designated hitter for a few at-bats in Arizona on Tuesday, the Cubs announced. He stayed at the Cubs’ spring training facility to continue his rehab.
