Jed Hoyer is confident Cubs will dig out of their offensive rut

CHICAGO (670 The Score) – Despite the Cubs’ recent struggles at the plate, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer is confident his club will snap out of its offensive funk.

That was the tone that Hoyer struck Tuesday as he spoke prior to the Cubs’ 4-3 walk-off win against the Braves in 10 innings at Wrigley Field. The Cubs got much healthier Tuesday, as shortstop Dansby Swanson (knee sprain) and second baseman Nico Hoerner (hamstring) each returned to the lineup after missing a week or more.

“Look, we have had a month where we have struggled,” Hoyer said.
“April was a good month offensively, but May has been a struggle. That is especially true with runners in scoring position. Scoring has been a challenge. Some of them have been playing shorthanded at times. Also, the guys that we count on have been struggling. Candidly at this moment, I am not overly concerned.”

The Cubs have scored a combined 21 runs in their past eight games, and they rank 16th in MLB in averaging 4.4 runs per game for the season. The Cubs were sixth in MLB in averaging just shy of 5.1 runs per game in 2023.

In addition to the recent absences of Swanson and Hoerner, the Cubs also missed a pair of big bats in center fielder Cody Bellinger and right fielder Seiya Suzuki for a long stretch. Left fielder Ian Happ has also endured struggles all season long. It has all added up to a lineup that’s been vulnerable at times.

“There are things that happen in the long season,” Hoyer said. “We have an OPS higher than the Braves, and I don't think anybody is worrying about them in the long run. We have not recently been able to string any at-bats together – that is undeniable. Hopefully getting Dansby and Nico back will help us get back to where we were in April where we felt we were having good at-bats all month and real depth.”

Manager Craig Counsell echoed Hoyer’s sentiment about the importance of Swanson and Hoerner. Swanson had two hits in his return Tuesday, and Hoerner had the walk-off infield single.

“It's great to get both of them back in the lineup for sure,” Counsell said of Swanson and Hoerner. “They contribute significantly to both offense and defense. It's just good to have this lineup ready to run out there.”

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine .