Three pitches into the at-bat, Nelson Velázquez found himself in a tough spot against one of the best closers in the majors.
Velázquez, behind 1-2 in the count versus San Diego Padres lefty Josh Hader, needed to find a way to keep the Chicago Cubs alive with two outs in the ninth inning Wednesday. The 24-year-old outfielder’s big-league opportunities have been limited this year, but when the Cubs have called on him, Velázquez is finding ways to deliver.
He watched two balls sail above the zone, then fouled off three consecutive sinkers from Hader, including two up and in on his hands, to keep the game alive. Velázquez capped the nine-pitch sequence — all sinkers — by shrewdly taking ball four just outside the zone to set up Nico Hoerner with two runners on and a two-run deficit.
Hoerner fouled out on the next pitch to end the 5-3 loss on a blustery night at Wrigley Field.
“Nelly had a phenomenal at-bat,” manager David Ross said. “Being able to take that borderline pitch 3-2 after fouling off a lot, handling the moment, not trying to do too much — those are really good signs. He’s in a good place and has continued to mature. He’s had great at-bats.”
Velázquez’s performance Wednesday provided a reminder of his offensive potential amid inconsistent opportunities. He turned on the afterburners coming around first base in the third inning to set up a smooth pop-up slide that narrowly beat the throw. Although the Cubs couldn’t convert Velázquez’s two-out double into a run, he set up Hoerner and the top of the order to drive in runs.
Velázquez knows his chances with the Cubs are limited. Even so, he continues to make the most of his big-league playing time this year. If he keeps trending this way, he could force the Cubs to reward him for his plate discipline and production.
His two-out walk in the eighth inning Tuesday set up Hoerner’s bases-loaded triple in a 6-0 victory. In four games for the Cubs, Velázquez is 5-for-10 with two doubles, one home run, four RBIs, four runs, three walks and one strikeout.
The Cubs recalled Velázquez from Triple-A Iowa to replace center fielder Cody Bellinger, who went on the paternity list before Tuesday’s series opener. Bellinger can remain on the list for at most three days, setting up Velázquez for another short stint with the Cubs. He torched Triple-A pitching to begin the season at Iowa, where he owns a .327/.403/.618 slash line in 62 plate appearances.
The Cubs brought up Velázquez two weeks ago as a brief bridge to Seiya Suzuki’s return from the injured list. He played in only two games, starting one in which he slugged a go-ahead grand slam as the Cubs erased the Seattle Mariners’ 7-0 lead en route to a 14-9 victory. Velázquez did not appear in the next two games before being optioned to open a spot for Suzuki.
“There’s some stuff we cannot control — the weather, suspended games, me going down to Triple A and then coming back here,” Velázquez told the Tribune. “We don’t control those timelines. So either way, I stay positive to do my job every day and try to do my best on the field and show them that I really want to be here helping the team.
“Besides that, I can’t control it. If they send me to Triple A, I have to go to Triple A and keep doing what I’m doing and then one day I will have my chance.”
The Cubs’ decision to carry only three outfielders on their 26-man active roster — using Patrick Wisdom and Trey Mancini in the corner outfield spots as needed — has limited Velázquez’s big-league chances in April.
The Cubs could eventually reconfigure their bench, which currently includes infielder Edwin Ríos and catcher/designated hitter Luis Torrens. Ríos, who still has a minor-league option, has received only 20 plate appearances through the first 23 games, while Torrens, who is out of options, has 22 PAs.
For now the Cubs appear content to stick with this group. Christopher Morel, Matt Mervis and Velázquez represent younger upside at Triple A that the team can deploy at some point, whether an injury creates an opening or perhaps when the offense needs a spark.
“The experience (Velázquez) gained last year is really invaluable,” Ross said. “We don’t give that enough credit even when you have some success, some failures, some adversity, some tougher moments. He has a lot of confidence in himself and is actually seeing that play out a little bit more this year with his success in Triple A.
“I think having success in the minor leagues is a real good springboard to coming up here and doing well.”
It’s a small sample size, but Velázquez has taken advantage of his plate appearances by staying within himself and not trying to do too much.
“As a baseball player, we can show them that we want to be here, but when you try to do everything over what you can do, you’ll do it wrong because you’re trying to do too much,” Velázquez said. “All I need to do is play hard and do my job and do what they want me to do, just play my game and have fun.”
He recognizes the talent around him in the lineup, specifically Hoerner. As the No. 9 hitter the last two games, Velázquez knows Hoerner is waiting on deck if he can get on base. Hoerner came through in the fifth Wednesday, connecting for a go-ahead RBI single to center. The bullpen squandered the one-run lead in the seventh en route to the loss.
Velázquez admits he didn’t understand his role last year as a rookie. When he hit well in his first 41 plate appearances, batting .297 with a .366 on-base percentage and .852 OPS, he hoped it would lead to more regular starts. Instead he was in the lineup in eight of the next 18 games and posted a .182 average, .267 OBP and .611 OPS the rest of the season (165 PAs).
Cubs hitting coach Dustin Kelly, who was the organization’s minor-league hitting coordinator last season, understood the challenges Velázquez faced when trying to adjust.
“He didn’t play probably as much as he wanted to or as much as we probably had planned for him to get up here,” Kelly told the Tribune. “But him playing up here, seeing how the day-to-day works, how good the pitching actually is, it’s a big jump from Triple-A pitching to major-league pitching.
“So for him to experience that, come to major-league spring training knowing he has a chance to make the team, go down and then come back, I think just adds fuel to his fire and gives him a good perspective of what it takes to stay up here.
“That’s what we see a lot: Guys can get here, but then what does it take to stay? And that’s what we’re working on with him.”
Looking back, Velázquez realizes he tried too hard to earn an everyday spot. That singular focus — and ultimately elusive quest — hurt his confidence because he struggled to get comfortable in his matchup-based bench role. He doesn’t expect that to be an issue this year, no matter how many times he might be on the Iowa-to-Chicago shuttle.
“I had a lot of time to think about it in the offseason and I went, ‘You have to understand what your role is going to be when you get into the season,’” Velázquez said. “And now I understand what I have to do. Any time they need me, I’ll be ready for that, pinch hit, whatever it is. I need to do everything I can that’s in my hands to help the team win games.”
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