Nick Madrigal's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Chicago Cubs third baseman Nick Madrigal (hamstring) underwent an MRI on Wednesday, manager Craig Counsell told Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune. Counsell seemed to downplay the injury, suggesting that Madrigal's MRI was mainly precautionary and that he remains in good shape. It's worth noting that Madrigal spent time on the 60-day injured list last year due to a right hamstring strain, so the Cubs will be a little extra cautious with that in mind. Nevertheless, it doesn't sound like Madrigal is at risk of missing any regular season action.

Chicago Cubs infielder Nick Madrigal provides the Cubs with an elite contact-based bat and can fit as a backup at second and third base. Nico Hoerner is set to be the club's primary second baseman, while manager Craig Counsell has made it clear that he wants to take a long look at Christopher Morel at the corner, given his athleticism and offensive upside. In addition to Madrigal, Patrick Wisdom and Miles Mastrobuoni give the Cubs some other bench options. The 26-year-old Madrigal, a former first-round pick by the Chicago White Sox in 2018 out of Oregon State, has hit .280 in his four big-league seasons, but it's come with only four home runs, 67 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 234 games. Madrigal has limited NL-only fantasy upside as a bench/utility option for the Cubbies.

The Chicago Cubs and infielder Nick Madrigal have settled on a one-year, $1.81 million deal to avoid arbitration. The 26-year-old was hampered by a hamstring injury in the 2023 season but reportedly entered the offseason with no physical restrictions. Despite excellent contact skills and bat control, Madrigal's production at the plate has cratered over the last two seasons. He hit a decent .263 in 2023 but slugged just a pair of home runs and walked in only 3.4% of his plate appearances a season ago. He struck out in only 8.2% of his 294 plate appearances but his 83 wRC+ at the plate represented production 17% below the league average after posting a 71 wRC+ in 59 games in 2022. His fantasy baseball value is minimal as a result.