Chicago Cubs get bad news on top prospect Brennen Davis

Chicago Cubs fans hoping to see top prospect Brennen Davis make his Major League debut at Wrigley Field sometime in 2022 will have to follow the advice of Cubs fans from the past and simply wait ’til next year.

Brennen Davis, the top prospect for the Chicago Cubs, has reportedly had back surgery that will likely end his season

According to The Athletic (subscription required), Chicago Cubs top prospect Brennen Davis has undergone surgery on his back and will likely be sidelined the rest of the season. Davis has struggled throughout the majority of the 2022 campaign with a back issue, going on the injured list while with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs on May 3 with what was described as tightness in his lower back.

A second-round pick of the Cubs during the 2018 MLB draft, Davis was named as Most Valuable Player of the 2021 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game after smashing a pair of home runs at Coors Field in Denver. He became one of only three players to ever hit two home runs in the Futures Game, joining Alfonso Soriano in 1999 and Yusniel Diaz in 2018.

The Futures Game honor was supposed to be the start of what would be a quick path to the Majors for Davis. However, a slow start at the plate this season at Iowa, slashing .197/.280/.310 in 20 April contests before getting just six at-bats in May before being sidelined by back issues.

According to the article, the sources who reported the surgery for Davis also said that it did not appear there were any long-term issues with his back, meaning he is expected to make a full recovery following surgery. However, that timeline will likely not be in time for this season.

Looking ahead, Davis will likely also need time following spring training to get his swing back and get meaningful at-bats, so it’s very likely he will start next season at Triple-A as well.