CHICAGO -- Even if the Chicago Cubs have a spot on their roster for rehabbing third baseman Ian Stewart he may not be ready to return to the major leagues just yet.

“Right this second, I don’t think I’m ready,” Stewart told the Des Moines Register after going 0-4 on Tuesday for Triple-A Iowa. “That’s just me being honest and knowing myself as a player.”

Stewart has been out since early in spring training with a quad injury. He’s been rehabbing in Iowa Since mid-April, but per the collective bargaining agreement position players only have 20 days of rehab time before they have to be recalled -- although the Cubs could option him right back to the minors. Friday will be Stewart’s 20th day there.


He’s hitting .100 with 15 strikeouts in 40 at-bats.

“Obviously the numbers aren’t there for me,” he told the paper. “For me, it’s not so much about getting base hits every time I go up. With a rehab assignment, I’m more about just feeling comfortable in the box and feeling confident up there.”

With Luis Valbuena and newcomer Cody Ransom playing well for the Cubs, don’t expect them to be in a rush to bring Stewart back. He is supposed to provide power at third base but has no home runs at Iowa while the combination of Valbuena and Ransom has six.

“He has to start swinging the bat better, having more consistent at-bats,” Cubs manager Dale Sveum said on Tuesday at Wrigley Field. “Wait and see.”

Stewart played in only 55 games last season due to a wrist injury.