Levine: Javier Baez To Return To Triple-A Soon

By Bruce Levine--

(CBS) --  Cubs infielder prospect Javier Baez will begin playing at Triple-A Iowa in the near future, president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said.

The 22-year-old Baez hasn't played in a game this season. He left the team on bereavement after the passing of his 21-year-old sister Noely on April 8.

Baez has recently been in Mesa, Ariz. at the Cubs' spring training facility, getting back into physical and mental condition to play again.

"Right now, our focus is to get him game ready," Epstein said. "He has been working hard in Arizona and is getting closer. He will be playing second base and some shortstop."

There appears to be a logjam at the major league level, with rookies Kris Bryant and Addison Russell already playing the infield ahead of Baez.

"That is thinking too far ahead," Epstein said. "We have a lot of guys with a lot of versatility. Given that, we feel we can fit all of our core players on the field at the same time. That of course is if they are all up here together. That is thinking really far in the future."

Baez had a rough time of it in his major league debut last summer. He hit .169 with nine home runs and 20 RBIs in 213 at-bats. Baez struck out 95 times in 229 plate appearances, a strikeout rate of more than 41 percent.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon was convinced by Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer that Baez needed more time to work on his hitting discipline in the minor leagues.

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