Addison Russell Strangely Scratched From Cubs Triple-A Lineup

UPDATE: Addison Russell was reportedly scratched because his equipment was late to arrive. He will not be traded today, per Bob Nightengale.

Ever since his 2016 All-Star campaign, Addison Russell has fallen off the proverbial cliff in terms of his overall production. In truth, his plummet has never been more evident than in 2019 and ultimately forced the Cubs to option him to Triple-A just a few days ago.

After all, what would you do with a player who missed two pop-ups, didn't advance to third on a wild pitch (a decision that saw him subsequently get doubled off at second base), and hasn't even memorized his club's signs?

Well, Russell's shady season has continued in the minor's as the 25-year-old infielder was oddly scratched from the Iowa Cubs' lineup on Sunday.

What makes the decision all the more shocking is that there have been no reported rumors on a potential deadline deal featuring Addison. We also know nothing of the Pace High School product battling an injury.

Club writer Tommy Birch has updated the matter and is instructing us to not make much of Russell's withdrawal, though he didn't exactly provide a concrete analysis.

While Birch has ruled out it being anything major, we would still fancy an actual reasoning when you consider how hectic the Florida native's last few weeks have been.

For now, it appears that the Cubbies are willing to hold onto the struggling head case.