Cubs' Alexander Canario: Belts slam for first MLB homer
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Canario went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and five RBI in Tuesday's 14-1 win of the Pirates.
Making his first big-league start and batting ninth as the DH, the 23-year-old helped put the finishing touches on the rout by slugging his first career homer in the eighth inning -- a grand slam off Kyle Nicolas. Canario has flashed big-time power in the minors, launching eight homers in 36 games for Triple-A Iowa this season after mashing 30 over 101 games in the high minors the year before, but he still needs to prove he can make consistent enough contact against major-league pitching to become a significant part of the Cubs' future.
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Cubs' Alexander Canario: Gets first big-league start
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Canario will serve as the designated hitter and bat ninth Tuesday versus the Pirates.
Canario has spent most of September on the Cubs' active major-league roster, but this will be his first appearance in the starting lineup. The 23-year-old put up an .866 OPS with eight homers, 35 RBI, two steals and 23 runs scored in 36 games for Triple-A Iowa prior to arriving in Chicago.
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Cubs' Alexander Canario: Recalled from Iowa
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The Cubs recalled Canario from Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Canario was just optioned to Iowa on Monday, but he'll return as bench depth for Chicago as Jeimer Candelario (back) heads to the 10-day injured list. Canario drew only one plate appearance during his first 10-day stint in the majors and is not in the lineup Tuesday at Colorado.
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Cubs' Alexander Canario: Sent down Monday
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Canario was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Monday.
Canario received only one at-bat after being called up on the first day of the month, so the Cubs decided to send him back to Iowa to open up a roster spot for fellow outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.
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Cubs' Alexander Canario: Officially summoned from minors
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Canario was recalled from Triple-A Iowa on Friday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Canario has missed a big chunk of this season due to injury but posted an .866 OPS with eight homers and two steals in 36 games since joining Triple-A Iowa in mid-July. The 23-year-old probably isn't going to play much down the stretch but offers an intriguing option off the bench.
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Cubs' Alexander Canario: Will be promoted Friday
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Canario will be called up to the Cubs on Friday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
Shane Greene is also set to join the Cubs as a September call-up ahead of Friday's series opener in Cincinnati. Canario battled shoulder and ankle injuries in the first half of the 2023 season, but he's posted a solid .866 OPS with eight homers and two steals in 36 games since joining Triple-A Iowa in mid-July. The 23-year-old can back up all three outfield spots and serve as a dynamic option off the bench.
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Cubs' Alexander Canario: Playing again at Triple-A
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Canario (shoulder/ankle) has gone 2-for-11 with a walk, an RBI and a run in three games since being reinstated from Triple-A Iowa's 60-day injured list Friday.
Canario made his 2023 debut for Iowa over the weekend after missing the first four-plus months of the season while recovering from offseason surgeries for his ankle and left shoulder. The 23-year-old outfielder -- who posted a .786 OPS over his 16-game rehab assignment between the rookie-level Arizona Complex League and High-A South Bend -- could need some time to knock off rust before he rediscovers the power/speed combination he displayed during the 2022 campaign. Over stops at South Bend, Double-A Tennessee and Iowa last season, Canario popped 37 home runs and stole 23 bases in 26 attempts over 534 plate appearances.
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Cubs' Alexander Canario: On Triple-A's 60-day IL
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Triple-A Iowa transferred Canario (ankle/shoulder) from its 7-day injured list to the 60-day IL on April 13.
Canario's 2023 debut looks like it'll have to wait until at least June while he works his way back from offseason surgeries on his left ankle and left shoulder. The 22-year-old outfielder's recovery from the shoulder procedure is likely the greater concern at this time, but he's at least fortunate that the surgery wasn't performed on his throwing arm. Canario reached Triple-A for the first time late in the 2022 season, slashing .231/.386/.538 with six home runs and three stolen bases across his 84 plate appearances for Iowa.
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Cubs' Alexander Canario: Optioned to Triple-A
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Canario (ankle, shoulder) was optioned to Triple-A Iowa by the Cubs on Friday.
Canario is still recovering from a fractured left ankle and dislocated left shoulder he suffered while playing in the Dominican Winter League back in October. The 22-year-old is close to being cleared for baseball activities but could get a late start to the season for Iowa.
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Cubs' Alexander Canario: Nearing baseball activities
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Canario (ankle/shoulder) said Thursday that he expects to be cleared for baseball activities in "a week or so," Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Canario fractured his left ankle and dislocated his left shoulder while playing in the Dominican Winter League back in October. Both injuries required surgery, but he's made steady progress and should be able to return to live competition within the first half of 2023. The 22-year-old outfield prospect put up a shiny .899 OPS with 37 home runs and 23 stolen bases in 125 games last summer between High-A South Bend, Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa.
Cubs' Alexander Canario: Timeline coming into view
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Canario underwent surgery on his fractured left ankle last week, and he's scheduled to have surgery on his dislocated left shoulder this week, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Canario suffered both injuries while playing in the Dominican winter league, and the club has since confirmed that the outfielder will not be ready for the start of the 2023 season. The Cubs will likely wait until his second procedure has been completed before providing more information on Canario's timeline for a return.
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Cubs' Alexander Canario: Injured in winter league
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Canario suffered a severe ankle break and a shoulder injury Thursday while playing in the Dominican winter league, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.
Canario suffered the injury after landing on first base awkwardly while trying to beat out a grounder. His expected recovery timeline is not yet clear, though it's possible the fracture is significant enough to cost him time next season. If healthy, Canario could push for a big-league role early next year, as he hit .252/.343/.556 with 37 home runs in 125 games across the three highest levels of the minors in 2022 while making the majority of his starts in center field.
The Cubs promoted Canario from Double-A Tennessee to Triple-A Iowa on Monday, Tommy Birch of The Des Moines Register reports.
Canario was rewarded with the promotion after he slugged two home runs in his final game for Tennessee on Sunday. The 22-year-old outfielder finished his time in the Southern League with a .248/.329/.552 slash line to go with 24 home runs and a 17-for-20 success rate on stolen-base attempts across 350 plate appearances.
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Cubs' Alexander Canario: Muscling up in Double-A
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Canario hit his 18th homer in 64 games for Double-A Tennessee on Tuesday, lifting his stat line at that level to .255/.339/.560.
Between High-A and Double-A this year, Canario has stolen a dozen bases while bashing 25 homers -- seven of which have come in his last 11 games, a stretch in which he's also batted .405 with 13 walks against just eight strikeouts. It's well worth noting that Canario's cut down his whiffs sharply since his promotion to Double-A -- where he was striking out at an alarming 35 percent rate in High-A, he's at a more acceptable 25.6 percent clip at the higher level. He probably won't ever hit for much average in the big leagues, but the power is very real, so if Canario can maintain his plate-discipline improvements, he'll have a chance to be an impact major leaguer.
The Cubs promoted Canario from High-A South Bend to Double-A Tennessee on Tuesday.
The 22-year-old outfielder, who was one of two prospects the Cubs acquired last summer in the deal that sent Kris Bryant to the Giants, showed significant improvement in his return to South Bend after submitting an underwhelming .693 OPS in 182 plate appearances for the affiliate in the second half of 2021. He'll be rewarded with a move to Double-A after slashing .281/.360/.584 with a 10.1 percent walk rate and 35 percent strikeout rate across 100 plate appearances to begin 2022.
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Cubs' Alexander Canario: Included in Bryant trade
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Canario (back) and right-hander Caleb Kilian were traded from the Giants to the Cubs on Friday in exchange for Kris Bryant, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Canario had a back issue crop up earlier in the week, but he was able to rejoin the lineup at Low-A San Jose on Thursday. The 21-year-old has a .235/.325/.433 slash line with nine home runs, 29 RBI, 43 runs and 15 stolen bases at Low-A this season.
