Chicago Cubs reinstate Cody Bellinger from paternity list

The Chicago Cubs activated outfielder Cody Bellinger from the paternity list Friday and designated catcher Luis Torrens for assignment.

Bellinger last played for the Cubs on Sunday before being away from the team as his girlfriend gave birth to the couple's second child.

Bellinger, 27, is off to a hot start in his first season for Chicago. He is batting .300 with five home runs and 15 RBIs in 21 games.

Bellinger earned National League MVP honors in 2019 while playing for the Los Angeles Dodgersbut struggled the next three seasons. He bottomed out with a .165 average in 2021 and hit .210 last season.

Bellinger played six seasons in Los Angeles before joining the Cubs on a one-year, $17.5 million deal in the offseason.

Torrens, 26, batted .250 with three RBIs in 13 games with the Cubs. He has a .227 career average over six seasons with the San Diego Padres (2017, 2019-20), Seattle Mariners (2020-22) and Cubs.