Video: Cubs Bench Javier Baez After Forgetting How Many Outs There Were

The Chicago Cubs expect a certain level of professionalism from their ball players and on Monday night shortstop Javier Baez crossed the line. The team pulled him from the game after he forgot how many outs there were while on base in the fourth inning.

Baez was on first base with one out when Anthony Rizzo lifted one to left field and Baez ended up charging around the bases and was halfway to third when the ball was caught, and thrown into first base to double him up. 

Javy Baez has a blunder so bad that he gets benched by David Ross immediately pic.twitter.com/jHXk1rt6Gr

— MLB Errors (@mlberrors) June 22, 2021

David Ross said he had a pit in his stomach after pulling Javy Baez: "That guy plays his butt off and brings it 99.9% of the time. It's not about setting an example for a star player that's a big part of this team. ... He'll be better for it tomorrow. We'll all be better for it."

— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) June 22, 2021

Cubs manager David Ross spoke to Baez in between innings and informed him to sit for the rest of the game. 

Here's Báez and Ross in the dugout after the inning-ending double play. #Cubs pic.twitter.com/wO1m3oLO16

— Andy Martínez (@amartinez_11) June 22, 2021

Turns out this wasn't the only gaffe from Baez on Monday as a couple of pitches earlier, he forgot to take a lead off.....don't take plays off kids!

On the first pitch of Rizzo's at-bat in the 4th inning, Javy Báez also did not take a lead off first base. That was prior to the mental lapse on how many outs there were later in the frame. pic.twitter.com/XH1vd7yUBO

— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) June 22, 2021

Photo credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports