Morel hit his second home run in as many days and fourth of the spring in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Athletics.
Morel is batting only .244 in Cactus League action, though the power display has been impressive in 41 at-bats. The 23-year-old hit 16 home runs across 379 at-bats as a rookie last season, but he again struggled to make consistent contact with a .235 batting average. Morel could be a utility option for the Cubs this year, and while the playing time might not always be there, his combination of power and speed could make him interesting at some point.
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Cubs' Christopher Morel: Slow spring continues
Rotowire
Morel went 0-for-2 with a walk while striking out twice Saturday in a Cactus League game against the Giants.
Morel has gotten off to a rough start in Arizona, as the hitless game now has him slashing .216/.293/.418. The 23-year-old showed flashes of brilliance in his rookie campaign with 16 home runs and a .741 OPS over 379 at-bats, but he is likely to serve in a utility role for the 2023 campaign and isn't expected to provide fantasy significance to begin the year.
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Cubs' Christopher Morel: Out of Sunday's lineup
Rotowire
Morel is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds.
Morel started the past five games and will receive a day off after he went 4-for-14 with two home runs, a double and five RBI during that span. Nelson Velazquez will man center field and bat ninth Sunday.
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Cubs' Christopher Morel: Leads offense with home run
Rotowire
Morel went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Phillies.
Morel's fifth-inning blast against Aaron Nola, his 16th of the season, sparked a four-run inning that led the Cubs to victory. The rookie has now gone deep in consecutive contests, and with seven games left this year, he has an outside shot at getting to 20 home runs. Morel looks primed for a big 2023 campaign as he figures to be a regular from Opening Day onward.
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Cubs' Christopher Morel: Knocks 15th home run
Rotowire
Morel went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 2-1 victory over the Phillies.
Morel grooved a first-pitch slider from Phillies ace Zack Wheeler for a distance of 374 feet to right field for his 15th long ball of the season. It was just his second homer in September despite seeing fairly regular playing time this month. The long ball was timely, as Morel is batting just .182 in 44 September at-bats with a 21:9 K:BB.
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Cubs' Christopher Morel: Out of Sunday's lineup
Rotowire
Morel is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against Pittsburgh.
Morel is hitting .120 over his past 11 games and will take a seat for Sunday's series finale. Patrick Wisdom will start at the hot corner and bat third.
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Cubs' Christopher Morel: Not in Friday's lineup
Rotowire
Morel isn't starting Friday against the Pirates.
Morel is getting a breather after he went 1-for-5 with a double, two RBI, a run, two walks and three strikeouts over the last two games. David Bote will start at the hot corner and bat third.
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Cubs' Christopher Morel: Drives in two Thursday
Rotowire
Morel went 1-for-2 with a walk, a double and two RBI in Thursday's win over the Pirates.
Morel batted ninth but still delivered a big hit, driving in two on his second-inning double, helping the Cubs to a 3-2 victory. The rookie continues to produce solid stats, as he now has a .738 OPS and 41 RBI across 103 games to go along with 14 home runs and 10 stolen bases. Morel could be in for a breakout 2023 campaign if he's able to limit strikeouts and make more consistent contact, as he came into Thursday striking out 32.5 percent of the time this year.
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Cubs' Christopher Morel: Not part of Tuesday's lineup
Rotowire
Morel is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Marlins.
Morel homered and walked in Monday's contest, but that was not enough to earn him a spot in Tuesday's lineup. Morel owns a .590 OPS since the start of September, so even though the Cubs are out of the playoff hunt, he is getting a breather every few days.
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Cubs' Christopher Morel: Goes deep Monday
Rotowire
Morel went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Monday's loss to the Marlins.
Morel started at shortstop and provided his 14th home run of the season. The rookie also has 10 stolen bases, and his mix of power and speed as well as his ability to play both the infield and outfield is intriguing heading into 2023. Assuming Morel gets regular playing time from Opening Day onward, he could be in line for a true breakout campaign.
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Cubs' Christopher Morel: Reaches twice, steals base
Rotowire
Morel went 0-for-3 with two walks and a run scored in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Mets. He also stole a base.
Morel was busy despite not having any hits, walking and scoring in the first inning, then walking and stealing second base in the ninth. The rookie now has 10 stolen bases this season to go along with 13 home runs across 96 games. Provided he plays a full season in the majors in 2023, Morel could push toward the 15-to-20 range in each category, which would give him some definite fantasy appeal.
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Cubs' Christopher Morel: Catches breather Tuesday
Rotowire
Morel is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Mets.
Morel has hit a rough patch at the plate, going just 6-for-44 (.136) over his last 16 games, so he will sit out Tuesday for the third time in six days. David Bote will claim a spot in Tuesday's lineup with Morel opening the contest on the bench.
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Cubs' Christopher Morel: Sitting Sunday
Rotowire
Morel isn't in the lineup Sunday against the Giants.
Morel is getting a breather after he went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts over the last two games. David Bote will take over at the hot corner and bat ninth.
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Cubs' Christopher Morel: Not starting Saturday
Rotowire
Morel isn't starting Saturday against the Cardinals.
Morel started the last four games and went 2-for-13 with a home run, a double, two RBI, a walk and five strikeouts. Zach McKinstry is taking over at the hot corner and batting ninth.
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Cubs' Christopher Morel: Doubles, homers Tuesday
Rotowire
Morel went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and two RBI in Tuesday's loss to the Blue Jays.
Morel continues to have a solid rookie season, as he connected for his 13th home run of the season in the sixth inning. He's at nine stolen bases as well, and double figures in both categories would be impressive, especially considering he's only played in 86 games. Morel has seemingly played his way onto the 2023 Opening Day roster for the Cubs, and the 23-year-old could be primed for a breakout campaign if he keeps contributing power and speed.
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Cubs' Christopher Morel: Takes seat Sunday
Rotowire
Morel is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers.
Morel has moved between third base and center field of late and should be locked in as an everyday player for the Cubs, but he'll retreat to the bench after going 0-for-13 with six strikeouts across his past four starts. Zach McKinstry is covering the hot corner Sunday, while Nelson Velazquez gets the starting nod in center field.
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Cubs' Christopher Morel: Day off Wednesday
Rotowire
Morel isn't starting Wednesday against the Cardinals.
Morel is resting after he hit .300 with a homer, a double, three runs and two RBI over the last seven games. Rafael Ortega will start in center field and bat sixth.
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Cubs' Christopher Morel: Blasts home run Friday
Rotowire
Morel went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and two runs scored in Friday's 8-7 win over the Brewers.
Morel's sixth-inning homer, his 12th of the season, put the Cubs ahead for good in the high-scoring contest. The rookie also has nine stolen bases this year and a solid .790 OPS. He showed off his versatility by starting at shortstop Friday, though he's also played outfield as well as second and third base. Morel's had a strong debut so far, and he could be primed for a big 2023 campaign assuming he has an Opening Day lineup spot.
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Cubs' Christopher Morel: Riding pine Wednesday
Rotowire
Morel isn't starting Wednesday against the Nationals.
Morel started the last three games but went just 1-for-9 with a solo homer, a walk and six strikeouts. Rafael Ortega is starting in center field and batting sixth.
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Cubs' Christopher Morel: Takes seat Saturday
Rotowire
Morel isn't starting Saturday against the Reds.
Morel went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts Thursday against Cincinnati and will be out of the lineup for the second time in the last three games. Zach McKinstry is starting at the hot corner and batting ninth.
