Cubs manager announced Sean Manaea Jersey that outfielder is going to be activated from the injured list today, relayed by . The full slate of moves was laid out by , with outfielder optioned to Triple-A, while right-hander was placed on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder stiffne s with fellow righty recalled to take his place. Additionally, outfielder is going on a rehab a signment, playing with Triple-A Iowa tomorrow. Lee was among those to . Bellinger landed on the IL a couple of weeks ago after colliding with the Wrigley Field wall and fracturing two ribs. Despite that scary diagnosis, hes made a quick return without going out on a rehab a signment. Prior to the injury, Bellinger had hit five home runs in his first 22 games of the season. Despite a tiny .215 batting average on balls in play, he was still slashing .226/.320/.440 for a 107 wRC+. With the Cubs in 2023, he hit 26 homers and had a .307/.356/.525 batting line, which translated to a 134 wRC+. The quick return should be good for both the club and for Bellinger personally. A suming he finds a bit better batted ball luck going forward, his numbers this year could move closer to where they were last year. That would naturally be good for the clubs offense while also helping set Bellinger up for this winter. Despite his strong 2023 season, Bellinger never found a large contract to his liking. That was perhaps at least partially due to his notable struggles in 2021 and 2022 in the aftermath of shoulder surgery. He returned to the Cubs on a three-year deal with opt-outs after each season, allowing him to grab a bit of financial security while also giving him the chance to return to free agency when he sees fit. Another lengthy injury layoff would have hurt his chances at maximizing his earning power this coming winter, so the quick turnaround still gives him a shot at putting together a good stretch of quality playing time between now and the end of the year. came up when Bellinger first got injured but it seems hes sticking around for now. His defense is excellent but hes hitting just .216/.231/.351 on the year so far. Perhaps he will stick in center with Bellinger in a corner or in the designated hitter slot, with and also in that mix. But when Suzuki is ready to come off the IL, perhaps Crow-Armstrong will be optioned back down for regular playing time with Bellinger back in the regular center field role. Keith Hernandez Jersey