Cubs Quick Hits: Is Addison Russell’s Shoulder Partially to Blame for Offensive Woes?

Before the season started, I couldn’t contain my enthusiasm for Addison Russell’s outlook. And, despite the recent struggles, my opinion of the young Cubs shortstop hasn’t changed. Maybe we can even find a reason for those offensive woes. As you can see from the chart below, Russell’s exit velocity has experienced a precipitous drop over the last week-plus.

Russell was scratched from Wednesday’s finale in Denver, but the 23-year-old says he has been experiencing shoulder pain for the last seven or so games. Doesn’t sound like it’s anything catastrophic, but it’s perhaps significant enough to hamper his performance.