Cubs Don’t Expect Addison Russell Back This Season

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, but the Cubs don’t anticipate getting Addison Russell back this season. Or perhaps it’s more accurate to say they don’t expect to have to make any decisions about him until after the playoffs.

Joe Maddon says the #Cubs have had no update from #MLB on Addison Russell regarding the domestic abuse allegations, but Cubs officials don’t anticipate him playing again this season

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 2, 2018

Russell is on his second seven-day administrative leave and could be placed on another should the Cubs advance in the playoffs. Joe Maddon said Tuesday that they had not received any updates on MLB’s investigation into allegations of domestic violence against the shortstop.

We do know that the investigation involves multiple people and that Russell’s ex-wife, Melisa Reidy, is cooperating. That was not the case when the allegations first arose last June, but the investigation has remained open and Reidy recently told ESPN that it took this long before she and her legal team were comfortable sharing her side of the story.

It’s hard to imagine MLB announcing anything while the Cubs are still alive, so this will probably continue to smolder for a while yet.