The Chicago Cubs made the surprising decision to demote former All-Star shortstop Addison Russell on Wednesday.
Russell, 25, was hitting .247 with six homers and 16 RBI at the time of the demotion. This comes after a lengthy suspension for alleged domestic violence.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon talked about the move Wednesday, indicating that it was in the best interest of Russell.
Those are certainly some kind words from Mr. Maddon. But they don’t change the facts.
On the diamond, Russell has been pretty bad since the end of the 2017 campaign. He hit just .250 with five homers, 38 RBI and a .317 OBP last season.
It remains to be seen when Russell will return to the majors. But he has a lot to work on at the lower levels.