Matt Duffy has suddenly become an important part of this Cubs team, hitting 3rd in the batting order and playing on a near-everyday basis over the last two weeks.

The Cubs continue to err on the side of caution as COVID-19 impacts the clubhouse, though no players have yet tested positive for the virus.

The Cubs trimmed their roster Saturday morning, optioning Nico Hoerner to Triple-A Iowa.

The Cubs are trying to strike the right balance with development and competitiveness with Adbert Alzolay while third base coach Willie Harris gets in on the action and the second base competition heats up.

Programming News and Notes for the Week of March 22-28 on Marquee Sports Network, including a new episode of Chris & Tell

Running down all the news from March 21 in Cubs camp, including Kris Bryant’s encouraging sign, the newcomers fitting in and March Madness sweeping over the clubhouse.

Ildemaro Vargas’ roster battle pales in comparison to what he had to go through just to reach the majors.

Updates from Arizona on Adbert Alzolay, Craig Kimbrel, Ildemaro Vargas, Jake Marisnick and a slew of other Cubs players.

What does the future hold for Nico Hoerner? He’s a young player with a lot of value for the Cubs but he also could benefit from consistent playing time in 2021.

Jed Hoyer hopes someone will take the second base job like Ian Happ did with the center field job last season.