Davis was non-tendered by the Cubs on Friday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Davis was designated for assignment Tuesday to make room for top prospect Owen Caissie. Davis' standing within the organization took a hit due to a string of serious back injuries and he played only 55 games in 2024. He'll still be only 25 during the 2025 season, so if he can remain on the field he could revitalize his career.
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Cubs' Brennen Davis: Healthy again at Triple-A
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Davis (back) has gone 4-for-27 with a double, three walks, three runs and one RBI in seven games for Triple-A Iowa since being reinstated from the 7-day injured list Aug. 27.
Davis missed just over two and a half months with a back fracture but is finally healthy again as the International League season winds down. Over 166 plate appearances with Iowa this season, Davis is slashing .212/.361/.470 with 10 home runs and one stolen base.
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Cubs' Brennen Davis: Sidelined to begin MiLB season
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Davis won't join Triple-A Iowa on Friday for the start of the minor-league season and will remain at the Cubs' spring facility while he recovers from a minor undisclosed injury, Tommy Birch of The Des Moines Register reports.
Davis isn't expected to be headed for an extended absence, as Birch relays that the outfielder will stay in Arizona for about a week or two before reporting to Iowa. The 24-year-old was once viewed as one of the top prospects in the Cubs' farm system and was the MVP of the 2021 All-Star Futures Game, but an assortment of injuries has derailed his development over the past couple of seasons. Davis possesses a spot on the Cubs' 40-man roster, but his big-league debut doesn't appear to be imminent.
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Cubs' Brennen Davis: In concussion protocol
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Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Davis is in concussion protocol after being hit on the helmet by a pitch Tuesday, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.
Counsell indicated that Davis has a "mild" concussion, and the outfielder will be shut down from activities until he clears the protocol. The 24-year-old former top prospect has had terrible injury luck during his professional career.
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Cubs' Brennen Davis: Out six weeks
Rotowire
Davis underwent core muscle surgery earlier this week and is out for at least six weeks, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
The 23-year-old outfield prospect was placed on the injured list at Triple-A Iowa on June 9 after experiencing discomfort after a swing. Now, Davis will be sidelined until at least early August as he recovers from his procedure. Davis was slashing .197/.316/.299 with 20 RBI through 187 plate appearances prior to getting injured.
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Cubs' Brennen Davis: Sent down to Triple-A
Rotowire
Davis was optioned to Triple-A Iowa by the Cubs on Friday.
Davis is finally over the back problems that plagued him last season, but he'll need to knock off some rust in the minors. The ceiling remains high for the 23-year-old.
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Cubs' Brennen Davis: Dealing with more back issues
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Davis is battling back tightness and is expected to miss the remainder of the Arizona Fall League, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.
Davis dealt with back issues through the regular season and underwent surgery to help address the issue in early June. He returned in mid-August but slashed just .168/.309/.297 the rest of the way. The Fall League was supposed to give him the chance to make up for lost development time, but the recurrence of his back problems cut that short after just five games.
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Cubs' Brennen Davis: Ready to rejoin Triple-A club
Rotowire
Davis (back) completed his rehab assignment at High-A South Bend and will be reinstated from Triple-A Iowa's 7-day injured list Tuesday, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.
Davis' next appearance with Iowa will be his first with the affiliate since May 3, after he spent nearly four months recovering from a back injury that ultimately required surgery in June. Since beginning his rehab assignment earlier this month, Davis has struggled to the tune of a .135/.200/.216 slash line and 32.5 percent strikeout rate over 10 games between stops at High-A and the rookie-level Arizona Complex League, but he's at least emerged from those contests without any health-related setbacks. The Cubs are hopeful that Davis' bat will come around over the final few weeks of the minor-league season, which could serve as a springboard to him pushing for a spot on the big club's Opening Day roster next spring. Davis could also pick up some additional at-bats in Fall Instructional League to make up for the time he lost while working his way back from surgery over the summer.
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Cubs' Brennen Davis: Could return in 2-to-3 weeks
Rotowire
Davis (back) could return to action in 2-to-3 weeks, Tim Stebbins of NBC Sports Chicago reports.
Davis has been sidelined since undergoing back surgery in early June, but he was hoping to return to action this season and will apparently have a chance to do so.
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Cubs' Brennen Davis: Aiming for 2022 return
Rotowire
Davis (back) is scheduled to begin a running progression next week and remains optimistic that he'll be able to return from Triple-A Iowa's 7-day injured list before the end of the 2022 season, Tommy Birch of The Des Moines Register reports.
The 2021 All-Star Futures Game MVP will miss out on the event next weekend while he continues to recover from the back surgery he underwent June 2, but he's still hopeful to salvage something from what has otherwise been a lost season. Davis said he plans to start up baseball activities "shortly after" he begins his running program, and a potential target date for a return to game action could come into focus several weeks later if his back responds well to him gradually increasing the intensity of his workouts. While playing through the back discomfort prior to undergoing surgery, Davis had struggled to a .195 average while striking out in 34.1 percent of his plate appearances for Iowa this season.
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Cubs' Brennen Davis: Battling back issue
Rotowire
Davis is on the minor-league injured list with Triple-A Iowa due to lower-back discomfort, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
The exact nature and severity of Davis' injury are unclear, but he hasn't played since May 3 and doesn't have a set return date. It's possible the back issue had been affecting him since the start of the season, as he hit a disappointing .195/.286/.299 while striking out 34.1 percent of the time in 22 games prior to landing on the injured list. Davis appeared to have a shot to debut later this summer, but if his absence stretches on for a long time, his arrival timeline could be pushed back.
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Cubs' Brennen Davis: Reassigned to minor-league camp
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Davis was reassigned to minor-league camp Friday.
Davis has a bright future ahead of him, but he was always a long shot to make the Opening Day roster, as he's played in just 15 Triple-A games. He'll have the chance to push for his big-league debut over the summer if he continues to hit well to open the year. He hit .260/.375/.494 across the three highest levels on the minors last season, though the Cubs may want to see him trim his 28.4 percent strikeout rate before he gets the chance to hit against the best pitchers in the world.
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Cubs' Brennen Davis: Back in action Wednesday
Rotowire
Davis (knee) is starting in right field and batting eighth in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the A's, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Davis had X-rays come back clean after leaving Monday's game against the Reds with a bruised right knee stemming from being hit by a pitch, and he'll rejoin the lineup after taking only one day off. The 22-year-old, who is the Cubs' top prospect, is a longshot to make the Opening Day roster but is a decent bet to make his major-league debut at some point in 2022.
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Cubs' Brennen Davis: Exits after pitch hits knee
Rotowire
Davis left Monday's Cactus League game against the Reds after getting hit by a pitch in his right knee, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Davis remained down initially until being checked on by team trainers, but he briefly remained in the game. He didn't look right after running to second base, however, so the Cubs elected to pull him. If he suffered nothing worse than a bruise, he should escape with little more than a brief delay in his spring preparation, but it's possible he's suffered a more serious injury.
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Cubs' Brennen Davis: Homers Saturday
Rotowire
Davis went 1-for-2 with a three-run home run in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Padres.
Davis is the Cubs' top prospect and is looking to make a good impression in camp. This performance certainly helps, and it will be interesting to watch the 22-year-old going forward to see if he can earn an Opening Day roster spot. Davis is probably most likely to begin the season with Triple-A Iowa, but he seems to be getting close to his MLB debut.
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Cubs' Brennen Davis: Invited to camp
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Davis is attending big-league spring training as a non-roster invitee, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Davis will likely start the 2022 campaign with Triple-A Iowa, as he only saw 15 games at that level last season. However, the highly regarded 22-year-old could push for an MLB roster spot sooner versus later if he gets off to a hot start. Davis figures to be a solid fantasy contributor once he reaches the majors, though some growing pains are always possible.
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Cubs' Brennen Davis: Promoted to Triple-A
Rotowire
Davis will be promoted to Triple-A Iowa on Monday, Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register reports.
Davis went just 1-for-16 with a homer, three runs and nine strikeouts across his last four games at Double-A Tennessee, but he'll earn a promotion for the final few weeks of the minor-league season after he hit .237 with 10 extra-base hits, 16 runs, 10 RBI and two stolen bases since the start of August. The Cubs' top prospect posted a somewhat concerning 30.8 percent strikeout rate across 75 games in Tennessee this year, but he'll get to compete against Triple-A talent to close out the 2021 campaign.
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Cubs' Brennen Davis: Streaking in Double-A
Rotowire
Davis has put up a .412/.533/.765 batting line across his last 11 games for Double-A Tennessee, smashing two homers and six doubles in that span.
He'd gone through a bit of a cold stretch before that, but Davis is back to feasting on opposing pitching, lifting his season line to .279/.401/.534 in the process. He does still have a concerning 29.0 percent strikeout rate, though he's gotten that a little more under control over the last few weeks. That's really the only mark against him other than a lack of base-stealing ability, which fantasy managers can surely live without if he mashes this prolifically. He's never whiffed at anything close to this rate at lower levels, and his 12.7 percent walk rate in Double-A is quite sharp, so it's reasonable to think that he'll keep cutting down on the strikeouts. The Cubs would do well not to rush Davis to the majors next season, so he may not be a huge 2022 contributor, but his long-term future is extremely bright.
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Cubs' Brennen Davis: Named Futures Game MVP
Rotowire
Davis smashed a pair of homers against the American League and was named MVP of the Futures Game on Sunday.
Granted, the game took place at Coors Field, but it was still an impressive performance for the National League squad by Davis, who has hit .278/.381/.481 with four homers, three steals, 14 RBI and 22 runs for Double-A Tennessee since being promoted June 1. Davis has looked good despite an injury-delayed start to the season, but his 30.2 percent strikeout rate in Double-A offers some cause for concern. It's worth watching whether he can get that in check, as the Cubs don't have any reason to rush the 21-year-old, who remains one of the most promising prospects in the game.
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Cubs' Brennen Davis: Advances to Double-A
Rotowire
Davis was promoted to Double-A Tennessee on Tuesday, Darin Pritchett of WSBTRadio.com reports.
Davis was sidelined for the beginning of the minor-league season with a head injury that arose from being hit by a pitch. He began the campaign with High-A South Bend following his recovery and excelled there, slashing .321/.406/.607 with a pair of homers, five RBI and two stolen bases across just 32 plate appearances. Widely considered one of the Cubs' top prospects, Davis will now make the important leap to Double-A.
