Christopher Austin: Everything you need to know

The Cubs placed Austin (knee) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday. Austin underwent a patellar tendon debridement procedure on his right knee in February. He remains without a return timeline, but his move to the 60-day IL ensures he'll remain out until at least late May. His spot on the 40-man roster will be handed to Dylan Carlson, whose contract was selected in a corresponding move.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that Austin underwent a patellar tendon debridement procedure on his right knee Tuesday and will be out for "months," Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports. Austin hasn't appeared in the majors since 2019, but after a successful run in Japan with the Yokohama Bay Stars over the last six seasons, he joined the Cubs on a one-year deal over the winter and appeared to have the inside track on a reserve role with Chicago. However, with Austin having since required knee surgery, he'll be ticketed for an extended stint on the injured list. The Cubs likely won't have a clearer target date for Austin's return until weeks down the road, when he'll be further along in the rehab process.

Austin signed a one-year, major-league contract with the Cubs on Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports. Since taking his last MLB at-bat in 2019, Austin has spent the past six seasons playing in Japan for the Yokohama Bay Stars of Nippon Professional Baseball. After posting a .945 OPS during his time overseas, the 34-year-old will now return stateside to join the Cubs and work as a platoon partner with Moises Ballesteros at designated hitter.