Tommy Birch

tbirch@dmreg.com

Javier Baez was originally scheduled to travel with the Iowa Cubs to continue his rehabilitation assignment.

There’s been a change of plans.

A source close to the situation told the Register Thursday that Baez was headed back to Chicago — ending his rehab assignment with Iowa.

Baez appeared in four games with Iowa and hit .267 (4-for-15) with a home run, stolen base and an RBI.

He went 2-for-4 with a run scored in Iowa’s 4-2 win over the New Orleans Zephyrs Thursday at Prinicpal Park. After the game, he was asked if he planned to make the road trip with Iowa, which was traveling to Round Rock Thursday.

“Yeah,” Baez said. “I’ve got to take at least 20 to 30 ABs.”

For one reason or another, there was a change. Baez started the season on the disabled list after injuring a thumb sliding headfirst into first base during a March 16 spring training game.

Baez then suffered a setback when a pitch grazed his helmet while he was in Mesa, Ariz., preparing for his rehab assignment. He arrived in Des Moines on Monday and has been in the Iowa lineup ever since.

“I’m ready,” Baez said after the game.

Chicago manager Joe Maddon told reporters this week that Baez was close to a return.

“It’s not up to me,” Baez said. “I’ve just got to come here and see what’s going on and if I’ve got to play, I’ve got to play. If I’ve got to go, I’ve got to go.”

Baez will offer Maddon another versatile option. Baez, who came up as an infielder, has become a super-utility man. He’s played third base, shortstop and left field for Iowa.

During Thursday’s game, he started in left before moving to third to start the seventh inning. Outfield, his newest spot, didn’t pose any problems for Baez, who handled every ball hit to him cleanly.

Baez said he doesn’t have a preference where he plays.

“It’s on the field,” Baez said. “If I’m on the field, I don’t care.”

There are still high hopes for Baez, the ninth overall pick in the 2011 draft. Baez struggled in his first big league stint in 2014 and hit just .169 with 95 strikeouts in 52 games with Chicago.

He began the 2015 season with Iowa but earned another promotion and was much better in that stint. During 28 games with Chicago last season, Baez hit .289 and belted the go-ahead three-run homer in the second inning of Game 4 of the National League Division Series.

Injuries have slowed Baez down at times, including last season when he suffered a non-displaced fracture in his left ring finger trying to steal second in a game with Iowa.

The injuries have led Baez to rethink sliding headfirst. He said he made the decision in the past to slide headfirst because sliding feetfirst would burn his thighs.

“I’m trying to get used to sliding feetfirst,” Baez said.

Baez was sliding feetfirst when he stole second and scored on an RBI single by Dan Vogelbach during Thursday’s game.

“I still think he could be an everyday player — not just a utility player,” Iowa manager Marty Pevey said. “He’s good. Good baseball player.”

Pevey was confident that whenever the call did come for Baez he would perform again.

“You know how Javy plays when the lights come on,” Pevey said.