Cody Bellinger’s return from the IL has provided a spark for the Cubs’ lineup but the star outfielder is still not operating at 100%.

Bellinger broke his finger on July 10 in Baltimore when he was hit in the hand with a pitch.

After nearly three weeks on the IL, he returned on July 30 and has been playing exclusively DH since then.

That’s because the fractured finger is on his left hand and throwing is still painful.

“He’s still struggling throwing,” Craig Counsell said Monday afternoon. “And that tells you he’s still feeling it hitting. When he tries to make throws with intent, it’s not very enjoyable. That’s the best way to say it.

“We’re making progress. It’s just going a little slower. You won’t see him in the field this series.”

Bellinger said his finger is feeling better and at this point, it’s about managing the pain.

So Bellinger will continue to serve as the Cubs’ DH for the remainder of the Twins series Tuesday and Wednesday.

The team is off on Thursday and then plays the White Sox for a quick 2-game Crosstown Series Friday and Saturday. It’s possible Bellinger could be back in the field at that point, or the Cubs could give him another few days in the DH role (the team is also off on Sunday).

When Bellinger does return defensively, it will most likely be in right field or at first base. Counsell confirmed Monday that Crow-Armstrong will continue to see the majority of starts in center field, though Bellinger or Mike Tauchman could spell him at times.

When everybody was fully healthy, Bellinger often played right field with Suzuki DHing, which improved the Cubs’ overall defense. Michael Busch has played strong defense at first base throughout his rookie season, so if Bellinger played that position, it would only be to give Busch a day off.

In 7 games since returning from the IL, Bellinger has been productive at the plate – hitting .321 with an .882 OPS. He has 6 RBI and as many homers (2) as he hit in a 2-month stretch from May 11 through July 10.

He missed a month last season with a knee injury and then missed a couple weeks earlier this year with fractured ribs. As soon as he was able to get back on the field this time around, he wanted to – even without the benefit of a rehab assignment.

“I feel like it was good enough,” Bellinger said. “Last year with my knee, I couldn’t play at a certain percentage because I couldn’t run. Where with this, I felt like it was good enough.

“My swing was feeling pretty good going in. You never know until you get live ABs consistently. It was one of those things where I just feel like I could’ve rolled and helped the team win.”

The Cubs know their backs are against the wall right now and time is running out to hang around the National League playoff race. So the team needed Bellinger back – even if he wasn’t 100%.

“He’s playing with an issue right now and he’s done a good job with it,” Counsell said. “You’ll see some moments during the game or a swing or kind of the way the ball comes off the bat that it hurts.

“It doesn’t feel good. But he’s been able to manage it and stay in there and contribute.”

Bellinger has had moments where he needs to try to manage the pain mid-at-bat.

“There’s definitely some times for whatever reason where I’ll call time and usually try to make that timeout worth it so I can regrip my stuff,” Bellinger said. “But overall it’s getting better. Just gonna keep on rolling with it.”