“This is different.”

Cubs shortstop Nico Hoerner has been on the sidelines since September 11th due to a triceps injury, but he joined the broadcast with Jon ‘Boog’ Sciambi, Ryan Dempster and Joe Girardi in the 3rd inning on Wednesday night against the Miami Marlins where he shared how he’s spending his newly acquired free time.

“I’m a big believer in keeping moving around, keeping cleats on your feet and getting out there. So, I’m still running around in [batting practice] and luckily able to still do a lot right now to keep myself sane,” Hoerner said. 

Outside of his constant studying of the game, the shortstop has had some fun with coaches, specifically Johnny Washington.

“The game is so clear when you’re sitting here and not the one in the box. It’s easy to forget how hard the game is, even after a week. It all seems really easy when you’re sitting here with nothing invested yourself,” Hoerner said laughing.

Earlier this month, the Cubs called up Jared Young, a former teammate and roommate of Hoerner in the minors.

“He was one of my best friends in the minor leagues and my roommate in Double-A,” Hoerner said. “Good seeing him hit a couple balls hard, have his whole family [at Wrigley] from Canada. That’s some of the most special stuff in our game that you get to see.”

Watch the full interview with Nico Hoerner above.