Javier Baez returned to Wrigley Field on Tuesday as the Detroit Tigers were in town for a showdown against the Chicago Cubs.
The Cubs gave Baez a warm welcome back to the city, even fashioning him a custom nameplate above his locker in the visiting clubhouse. Not everyone was so overjoyed to have the infielder back in town, however.
One bar outside the stadium in Wrigleyville, Murphy's Bleachers, had a less-than-kind message for Baez written on a sign outside the facility.
"Welcome back, Javy. We sure don't miss that batting average," read the sign, taking a dig at Baez's inconsistent performances in the batters box.
Boom, roasted.
Baez has struggled for the Tigers this season. He's slashing .185/.223/.298 with six home runs and 37 RBIs. Though he's not qualified for statistics due to having played in just 78 games thus far, his .522 OPS would be far and away the lowest in the league, well lower than that of Ke'Bryan Hayes's .573 OPS which currently ranks as the worst in baseball among qualified hitters.
Baez played his first eight MLB seasons with the Cubs, making two All-Star appearances and winning a World Series in 2016. He departed at the trade deadline in 2021 in a deal with the New York Mets and later signed a lucrative six-year, $140 million contract with the Tigers, which has not aged well.
Although many fans will be pleased to see the 31-year-old at Wrigley on Tuesday, Murphy's Bleachers made sure to troll the former Cubs infielder upon his return.
