Darwin Barney has been excused from the Cubs until Friday to be with his pregnant wife.

Barney is batting .275/.313/.351 through 125 games this season. The rookie should be back in the Cubs' starting lineup for Friday night's series opener with the Mets.

Darwin Barney went hitless for the sixth time in his last seven games Friday in a loss to the Pirates.

Barney's average is down to .280 now, and since he averages one walk and barely more than one extra-base hit per week, that's a problem. He really needs to bat .300 to look like a decent regular, and the truth is that he's always projected better as a utilityman.

Darwin Barney collected his second homer and his fifth triple of the season Friday against the Cardinals.

Barney has 13 hits in his last six games, raising his average from .282 to .296. Given his lack of power and his miniscule walk rate, he needs to hit about .300 to justify a spot in the lineup. He's there right now, but that doesn't necessarily mean he should be guaranteed a starting job with the Cubs next year.

Darwin Barney is batting just .202/.264/.298 since the All-Star break.

This, after Barney hit .306 /.334/.374 going into the Midsummer Classic. His regression to the mean (career .287/.335/.376 minor-league hitter) was inevitable, but has been particularly brutal.

Darwin Barney went 2-for-3 with a double in Chicago's 9-1 loss to the Pirates on Sunday.

The Cubs could muster just four total hits in a performance that could only be described as flat. As for Barney, the multi-hit day was his fourth straight, bringing his average to .306 at the All-Star break.

Cubs activated 2B Darwin Barney from the 15-day disabled list.

Barney missed a little over two weeks with a sprained right knee and will return to a .294/.341/.359 batting line. He's not a great option in mixed fantasy leagues, but he will bring stability again to the Cubs' starting second base gig.

Darwin Barney (knee) went 2-for-3 Tuesday in his final rehab game with Triple-A Iowa.

Barney is expected to rejoin the Cubs on Wednesday and will resume starting second base duties. The 25-year-old has cooled off since his hot start, now batting just .294/.341/.359 with one homer and 25 RBI.

Darwin Barney (knee) will play his final rehab game Tuesday afternoon at Triple-A Iowa.

Barney is scheduled to rejoin the Cubs' starting lineup on Wednesday. The 25-year-old second baseman has been out of commission since mid-June with a knee sprain.

Darwin Barney (knee) is expected to be activated from the disabled list on June 29, the first day he's eligible.

Barney has been fitted with a knee brace and will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa Saturday. The young second baseman has been out since mid-June with a sprained right knee.

Darwin Barney (knee) expects to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa Saturday.

We assume this means that he's gotten his knee brace and has been cleared to resume baseball-related activities. Assuming all goes well, we'll probably see Barney back in Chicago in early July.

Darwin Barney (knee) hit on the field Tuesday for the first time since landing on the disabled list.

Barney will be fitted for a brace soon, at which point he'll be cleared to resume more baseball-related activities. The second baseman is likely to return at the beginning of next month.

Darwin Barney (knee) hit off a batting tee Monday for the first time since being placed on the disabled list last week.

Barney was also permitted to play catch under trainer's supervision. The rookie infielder was diagnosed with a Grade 3 sprain of his PCL last week and is expected to be sidelined through early July. He is currently waiting to be fitted with a knee brace.

Cubs placed 2B Darwin Barney on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right knee.

Barney suffered a Grade 3 sprain of his PCL earlier this week and will likely need at least three weeks of recovery time. The scrappy second baseman has collected 25 RBI in 63 games this year as a major league rookie despite an ugly .679 OPS. Jeff Baker and Blake DeWitt are expected to split time at second base in his absence.

Darwin Barney is expected to be placed on the disabled list Wednesday due to a PCL strain in his right knee.

Barney suffered the injury sliding into home plate on Monday night and was held out of the lineup Tuesday. "As soon as I slid into home plate last night, I knew something was really wrong," said Barney. "The whole knee went numb. I had an MRI today and it revealed that Grade 1 strain in my knee." It's a tough blow for Barney, who currently leads all National League rookies in batting average (.294), hits (73) and multi-hit games (25). Jeff Baker and Blake DeWitt will likely share playing time at second base during his absence.

Darwin Barney is out of Tuesday's lineup against the Brewers due to a "banged up" knee.

It doesn't sound like anything serious, as Barney is expected to return to the lineup for Wednesday's game. Jeff Baker will make the start at second base Tuesday.

Darwin Barney is out of Wednesday's lineup against the Rockies.

Barney was in the original lineup, so it's not clear if the change is injury-related. Jeff Baker will make the start at second base and bat third against right-hander Jhoulys Chacin.

Darwin Barney continued his hot hitting Tuesday, finishing 2-for-4 in the Cubs' 4-3 loss to the Rockies.

The young shortstop has been on a tear since moving into the No. 2 slot on April 11, hitting .328 with 10 runs and 11 RBI during that span. He is currently enjoying a seven-game hitting streak.

Cubs manager Mike Quade said he would "love" to have Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney settle into the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in the lineup, respectively.

Barney started the year out hitting mostly at the bottom of the order, but he's been in the No. 2 slot some recently and has upped his average to .345 with a string of multi-hit games. Castro has been batting leadoff on days where Jeff Baker doesn't hit there against left-handed pitching. Though we could definitely see Castro sticking as the leadoff hitter, Barney really isn't much of a hitter, and Baker should continue to see plenty of time against southpaws.

Darwin Barney has won the second base job for the Cubs.

Blake DeWitt struggled all spring and has gotten reps at third base so he can back up both spots. Barney, 25, has a .286/.334/.374 batting line over parts of four seasons in the minor leagues, mostly as a shortstop. The former 2007 fourth-round pick has a little bit of speed, but doesn't offer much from a fantasy perspective. He profiles similarly to Ryan Theriot.

Cubs manager Mike Quade hinted Thursday that Darwin Barney could win the second base job.

"He's given himself every chance to be an important part of this infield," said Quade. He stopped short of a confirmation, but did mention that the struggling Blake DeWitt will get some reps at third base in the days ahead while Barney will play more at second base. Barney, 25, has a .286/.334/.374 batting line over parts of four seasons in the minor leagues, mostly as a shortstop. The former 2007 fourth-round pick has a little bit of speed, but doesn't offer much from a fantasy perspective.