CHGO Digest: Cubs keeping Hoerner off IL, Red Stars set NWSL record

Happy Monday, friends!

Who’s Chicago’s next championship team?

The Bears haven’t won a playoff game since 2011. The White Sox haven’t won a playoff series since winning the World Series in 2005.

Among Chicago’s teams in the Big Four, the Cubs have the most recent playoff series win — October 2017.

Enough heartbreak. Let’s raise a trophy again.

— Patrick Norton

---

Cubs hoping Nico avoids 10-day IL

Despite a small fracture in his right hand, Nico Hoerner isn’t heading to the injured list… yet.

Hoerner finished Thursday’s game after taking a fastball off the hand in the fourth inning but did not play in the field the rest of the weekend, appearing briefly as a pinch runner on Friday.

• Why wasn’t Hoerner added to the 10-day IL? Craig Counsell believes the move would be premature. “We feel like it’s worth waiting,” the Cubs manager said on Sunday. “That’s always the judgment you’re making there.”
  
• This isn’t the first time the team has opted to keep Hoerner on the active roster while recovering from an injury. Last month, the second baseman missed six consecutive games with a hamstring strain. But Hoerner agrees he can’t leave the Cubs disadvantaged for long, saying “You don’t want to be in a position where you’re on the roster and limiting the manager’s options.”
  

📺 WATCH | Corey Freedman and Brendan Miller discuss how the Cubs can rebound from a bad May, and why Dansby Swanson’s resurgence plays a major role.

⚾ NEXT | Cubs at Rays — Tuesday, 5:50 on Marquee Sports Network

---

$99 Trip to Milwaukee with CHGO!

We’re heading up to Wrigley North! Join us on a bus ride up to MKE from Almost Home in Chicago or the Circa Sportsbook in Waukegan for just $99! Ticket includes a game ticket, bus ride, and other special perks!

---

How hot is Pedro Grifol’s seat?

If you think it’s a good idea to wait until after the season to assess your manager’s performance despite his career 78-150 record, you might be Jerry Reinsdorf.

It would be unfair to pinpoint a majority of the White Sox’s issues on Pedro Grifol, but the buck ultimately stops with the manager. Regardless of expectations, it’s June 10 and the White Sox are on pace for the worst record in a 162-game season ever.

However, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, Grifol might be sticking around longer than many expect.

• Nightengale reported on Sunday, “The White Sox believe it would make no sense to bring in and pay another manager when the team’s fate isn’t going to change no matter who’s in the dugout.”
  
• CHGO’s Vinnie Duber sat with Grifol on Sunday to discuss the manager’s job security. “It doesn’t matter what job you have,” Grifol started. “In any sport, if it’s a high-profile job, which all these jobs are, the day you get hired you’re on the hot seat, to be honest with you.”
  

📖 READ | Check out Vinnie’s full one-on-one conversation with the Southside skipper, including why Grifol still believes in the foundation he’s building.

⚾ TONIGHT | White Sox at Mariners — 8:40 on NBC Sports Chicago

---

CHGO White Sox Takeover vs. Shohei Ohtani!

Come hang out with the CHGO White Sox Crew and other diehards as the Sox take on the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 24th! There are limited tickets available so grab yours today!

---

Roundup: Bears signing old friend, Red Stars set NWSL record

• Tight end Marcedes Lewis is coming back! The 40-year-old is expected to visit and sign a one-year contract with the Bears today, according to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer. Lewis spent last year in Chicago, receiving game action in all 17 contests, but only recorded four catches including one score. However, Lewis’ value comes from his blocking ability — his 73.7 run-blocking grade (PFF) was 5th-best in the NFL last year.
  
• Congratulations to the Chicago Red Stars for breaking the NWSL’s single-game attendance record! 35,038 fans outlasted the elements and filled Wrigley Field to watch the Red Stars and Bay FC on Saturday night. Bay FC escaped victoriously, 3-1. Red Stars president Karen Leetzow called the match “not just momentous for the Red Stars but for the NWSL and the future of women’s professional soccer.”
  

---

Rest easy, Chet ‘The Jet’ Walker

⭐ Hall Of Famer
⭐ NBA Champion
⭐ 7X All Star
⭐ Chicago Bulls Ring Of Honor Inductee
Rest and Love to an absolute Legend. Chet "The Jet" Walker pic.twitter.com/ZmdN64CTSV

— CHGO Bulls (@CHGO_Bulls) June 9, 2024

---

More on CHGO!

• Don’t miss Nicholas Moreano’s takeaways from the third and final day of Bears minicamp. Just 40 days until training camp begins!
  
• Friday 1:20 Club is back in the bleachers this Friday! Join Cody Delmendo and Greg Braggs at Murphy’s Bleachers starting at 10:00. Just bring yourself and a ticket to the Wrigley Field Bleachers!