Watch: Cubs Prospect Howard Hits First Home Run In 14 Months

Chicago Cubs prospect Ed Howard has been quite for much of the last year. Looks like his bat might be starting to get hot at High Class-A South Bend.

Howard — who missed most of 2022 with a hip injury — hit his first home run in more than a year when he went long for South Bend on Saturday night against Cedar Rapids.

It’s been a long road back for Howard, who was the Cubs’ first-round pick in 2020 and is from Evergreen Park, Ill. He is MLB.com’s No. 22 Cubs prospect with a projected 2025 call-up.

Howard started his 2022 season with South Bend, but the hip injury ended his season in May. South Bend activated him on June 6 and he played in six games before Saturday’s explosive performance.

He went 3-for-6 — his most hits in a game since returning from the injured list. He scored three times, hit a double, a home run and drove in a run on the solo shot.

Welcome back, Ed Howard!

After returning from injury on June 6, the @Cubs' 2020 first-round pick slugs his first homer since last April for the @SBCubs: pic.twitter.com/BlixAgMjaP
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) June 18, 2023

It’s welcome progress for Howard, who has now slashed .250/.250/.406/.656 with a home run and an RBI in seven games. He has scored five times, has struck out nine times and hasn’t drawn a walk.

Howard hit his last home run on April 21, 2022.

He didn’t play professionally after his selection in 2020 due to COVID-19. He spent 2021 with Myrtle Beach in the Carolina League. In 110 minor-league games he’s batting .231/.284/.322/.606 with six home runs and 43 RBI.

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